Borivali police have arrested the prime accused, Anil Ramchandra Tambat, in a case involving a scam worth approximately ₹81 lakh related to MD course admissions at Pune's BJ Medical College. The accused, along with co-conspirators Sandeep Waghmare, Abhijeet Patil, and Bhushan Patil, has been charged with duping a medical professional. The victim was also threatened with his son's kidnapping and murder if he reported the fraud or demanded his money back.
The Victim's Background
Mangesh Anant Rane, a resident of Kandivali, runs a medical and surgical supply business. His son, Aditya, completed his MBBS in 2019, scoring 199 marks. Despite his efforts, Aditya could not secure admission to an MD course. About two years ago, Mangesh met Sandeep Waghmare from Nanded. During their acquaintance, Rane shared details about his son's aspirations. Waghmare then promised to secure Aditya an MD seat through the NRI quota at a reputed college in Aurangabad. Waghmare introduced him to Abhijeet Patil, and they took Mangesh to Aurangabad, where they met Anil Tambat. Together, they assured Mangesh that his son would get a seat through the government quota.
On their suggestion, Aditya reapplied for the NEET exam. Three days later, Mangesh received an email claiming Aditya had secured a seat at BJ Medical College, Pune.
The Fraudulent Transaction
Believing the email was from the official college website, Mangesh followed the next steps and submitted all necessary documents, including Aditya's certificates. He then paid ₹94 lakh to Anil Tambat, ₹8.5 lakh to Abhijeet Patil, ₹23 lakh to Sandeep Waghmare, and ₹11 lakh to Bhushan Patil, totalling ₹1.36 crore. Soon after, they sent Aditya's admission documents, along with a college ID card, claiming he had been admitted.
However, Mangesh later discovered that the documents and ID card were fake. He also found out that the group had previously defrauded another acquaintance, Vishwanath Balunj, by falsely promising admission for his son.
Threats and Partial Refund
When Mangesh confronted the group and demanded his money back, they returned ₹55 lakh but withheld ₹81 lakh. Instead, they threatened to kidnap and kill his son if he approached the police.
The Arrest and Investigation
Realizing the extent of the fraud, Mangesh lodged a complaint with the Borivali police. The police registered a case under multiple sections of the IPC against Anil Tambat, Sandeep Waghmare, Abhijeet Patil, and Bhushan Patil. Following a 10-month-long investigation, the police finally arrested Anil Tambat in Aurangabad. He is currently in police custody for further interrogation. The police have also identified the three co-accused and launched a special operation to arrest them.
This case highlights the growing menace of admission scams and the lengths to which fraudsters will go to dupe unsuspecting families.