83-year-old from Mumbai seeks medical college seat for grandson, duped of ₹53 lakh

The payment was made between October 2015 and April 2016; the accused has returned ₹50,000.

The Worli police on Thursday registered a case after an 83-year-old woman from Dadar (East) was cheated of ₹53.50 lakh.

The accused gave the complainant ₹54 lakh cash for the seat. (Representational photo)

The complainant, Premlata Shivcharan Singh, claims to have met the accused, Sunita Ashok Sharma in a Worli apartment in 2015. As per the complaint, Sharma agreed to help Singh’s grandson, Shivamdev Singh, get admission in MGM medical college in Kamothe, Navi Mumbai. Her grandson was seeking admission for a post-graduate degree, upon completion of his MBBS degree.

The accused gave the complainant ₹54 lakh cash in return. The payment was made between October 2015 and April 2016. However, when Shivamdev did not receive admission to the college, the complainant demanded the money back. The accused paid ₹50,000 but has failed to pay the rest of the money.

“After consistent delays in paying back the money, Singh approached us and we registered a complaint based on the statement. We have begun the investigation,” said Jitendra Pawar, senior police inspector, Worli police station.

Shivamdev is now in his second year at an institute in Rajasthan. “Sharma’s husband was a retired Calcutta police officer and Shivamdev’s father passed away in 2014. Since his mother lives in Delhi, he has since been under the care of his grandmother,” said a police official.