40-year-old dupes government official of ₹61 lakh after promising medical seat for daughter, held in Mumbai

A 40-year-old man was arrested on October 30 by the airport police at Vile Parle on Sunday for allegedly duping a government official of ₹61.25 lakh on the pretext

A 40-year-old man was arrested on October 30 by the airport police at Vile Parle on Sunday for allegedly duping a government official of ₹61.25 lakh on the pretext of getting his daughter an admission to a medical college in Pune.

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According to the police, the official’s 18-year-old daughter was seeking admission to a medical college for the MBBS course. Though she had appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam, she was unable to secure a seat owing to low scores.

“Her father came in a contact with the accused, Sudip Syama Chakrabarty, who promised the official that he has good contacts in reputed colleges. They then later met at Vile Parle, where Chakrabarty asked for ₹30 lakh as a token amount so that the admission process could be initiated,” said an officer from the airport police station.

The accused later asked the government official on various pretexts for the admissions and until September, he had taken a total amount of ₹61.25. However, there was no progress in the admission process of the aspirant, the officer said.

“The official later searched for the accused’s name on the internet and discovered a news article in which a man with the same was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police for duping several students, collectively to the tune of ₹1 crore, by promising them seats in medical colleges. The official then approached the police,” the officer said.

Following the official’s complaint, the police registered a case under sections 419 (punishment for cheating by personation), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 120 (B) [punishment of criminal conspiracy], and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 66 (C) [punishment for identity theft], and 66 (D) [punishment for cheating by personation by using computer resource] of Information Technology Act.

The police traced Chakrabarty to Versova and arrested him. He was produced before a local court, which remanded him in police custody till November 2. The police are looking for two of his accomplices.

“Chakrabarty is a history-sheeter and there are more than eight cases of cheating registered against him at Goregaon, Oshiwara and Bangur Nagar stations in Mumbai as well as at Kothrud (Pune) and Hanehalli (Karnataka) police stations and the Jammu and Kashmir crime branch.”