MAN WANTED MEDICAL SEAT FOR HIS SON, CHEATED OF `27L

NAVI MUMBAI: The Kharghar police have booked three people for allegedly cheating an Airoli resident of Rs26.55 lakh by promising a seat in a medical college for his son.

According to the police, the complainant Shivaji More, 46, a resident of Sector 19, met the accused early last year. After learning about his son’s ambition of becoming a physician they told him that they could get a seat for his son under the management quota in a medical college in Mumbai. They asked for Rs26.55 lakh in return.

“An unsuspecting More took them for genuine people and gave them the money in several instalments between September and March this year. However, after getting the money in their bank accounts, all three suspects went into hiding. Even after repeated attempts, when the complainant could not contact them, he approached us and registered a complaint,” said a police officer from Kharghar police station.

The police have registered a case under section 420, 120b and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They have not been able to make any arrest so far.

“We are following certain leads and hope to arrest the suspects soon. We have also sent our officials to a few places searching for them,” he said.

“After Class 12, students sit for entrance examinations to gain an entry into medical and engineering colleges. Students who fail to make to the merit list, desperately look for ways to get into a good institution. Touts take undue advantage of such a situation,” said a college principal, requesting anonymity.

The touts offer to help these students secure a seat in a premier engineering or medical college in return for huge money, ranging from Rs20 to Rs 60 lakh.

“Touts visit colleges at this time in the hope of finding students who do not feature in the merit list. Students should remember that only their education is important, not the schools or colleges they study. We advise students to not fall prey to such touts and secure seat through merit,” she added.