Two held for cheating man of ₹3.5 lakh

The accused were traced to Latur last week

The Mumbai Police crime branch recently arrested two people from Latur who cheated a man of Rs3.5 lakh under the pretext of helping his son secure admission to St.Xavier’s College, under a special ‘chief minister’s quota’.

The accused told the complainant that there is a ‘chief minister’s quota’, under which it is possible to secure admission to the First Year Junior College, Arts stream, in St. Xavier’s College by paying a fee of Rs3.5 lakh. (HT File Photo)

A crime branch official from unit I said the accused Balaji Kamble, 25, a college drop out, and Sunil Dandge, 25, a graduate met the Mumbai-based complainant through a mutual friend.

The friend told the complainant that the accused have helped several students secure admissions to a college in Latur. He added that the accused also had political clout in Mantralaya.The police have verified that the accused helped college students secure admissions in Latur.

The accused told the complainant that there is a ‘chief minister’s quota’, under which it is possible to secure admission to the First Year Junior College, Arts stream, in St. Xavier’s College by paying a fee of Rs3.5 lakh. The complainant’s son had secured 75% in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination.

The complainant paid the accused in June. When the admission failed to materialise, he contacted the accused, who refused to answer his calls.

An FIR was registered under section 420 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (for cheating and having common intention respectively) with the Marine Drive police station last week.

The accused were traced to Latur last week. They were produced before a magistrate’s court and remanded to police custody till October 24.

The police are investigating whether the accused cheated more victims using the same modus operandi.