Man who allegedly charged parents for college seats held in Bandra

Police said the accused had cheated parents from Khar, Bandra, Juhu, Navi Mumbai, Byculla, and other areas.

After hunting for seven months, Khar police arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly cheated multiple parents by promising them seats in colleges of their choice, for their children, and charging them. A police complaint had been filed against Mehfooz Zaki Ahmed for cheating a parent in August 2018 by charging her for admission for her children in a city college.

Police in Mumbai have arrested a man who allegedly promised and charged parents for getting their children admitted to colleges of their choice. (PTI File / Representational Photo)

“Ahmed had phoned the woman and said that through his contacts he got to know that she was looking for college admission of her children. After negotiations, she transferred ₹4 lakh to an account in advance,” said a police officer.

When the woman confronted him after the admission was not done, he told her that the money would be returned. Ahmed went underground after that. Police registered a first information report (FIR) against the accused but when they tried to follow the money trail, they found that the bank account did not belong to him. Ahmed had allegedly promised the actual account holder a percentage of the money for the transaction.

“This is his modus operandi. He also does not use one regular mobile number and keeps changing it. None of the victims had ever seen his face. Using his call records we were able to get in contact with him. We posed as parents who were looking for admission and laid a trap. We finally arrested him after seven months from Bandra,” said the officer.

Police said the accused had cheated parents from Khar, Bandra, Juhu, Navi Mumbai, Byculla, and other areas. “Earlier, when he was arrested, he came out on bail and again cheated people. As the exams are happening now, we want to send a message to the citizens that they should be wary of such cheaters,” said another officer.

Police are also trying to identify how the accused received details of the parents who were looking for admission for their children.