Mumbai: Woman Duped of ₹14.5 Lakh on Promise of MBBS Admission; Azad Maidan Police Book Three Fraudsters

The Azad Maidan Police have registered a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust against three individuals for allegedly defrauding a woman of ₹14.5 lakh under the pretext of securing an MBBS seat for her daughter. The accused have been identified as Mohammad Wasim, Ainul Jainul Hasan alias Rehan, and Krishnamohan Sharma alias Niraj. All three are currently absconding, and a manhunt has been launched to trace them.

According to police, complainant Saeeda begum Abdul Aqeel resides in the Dhobi Talao area of Marine Lines with her son Abdul Razzaq, while her husband Abdul Aqeel and another son Abdul Rehman live in their native town in Nanded. Her daughter Farheen Begum is pursuing BAMS studies in Nashik.

In February 2022, while Farheen was preparing for her NEET exam at L.N. Academy, she became acquainted with Mohammad Wasim. Their acquaintance soon turned into friendship. During their conversations, Wasim claimed he had contacts who could help secure MBBS admissions in reputed medical colleges.

To gain her trust, Wasim sent her a forged admission letter via WhatsApp, allegedly showing his own admission to AIIMS Rishikesh. Later, he introduced her to two of his associates—Niraj and Rehan—both reportedly residents of Uttar Pradesh. They assured the complainant that they could secure her daughter's MBBS admission for ₹24 lakh, which was later negotiated down to ₹21 lakh.

Believing their claims, Saeeda begum began transferring money in installments to their bank accounts between February and December 2022, amounting to ₹14.5 lakh. However, despite repeated assurances, her daughter never received admission into any medical college. When confronted, the accused kept deferring her, claiming admission would be confirmed the following year.

Eventually, after realizing she had been duped, Saeeda begum demanded her money back, but the trio failed to return the amount. It became clear that Wasim, along with Rehan and Niraj, had conspired to cheat her by falsely promising admission and pocketing the money.

Following her complaint, the Azad Maidan Police registered a case against the three under relevant sections of cheating and criminal breach of trust. Investigations are ongoing, and police have launched a special operation to arrest the absconding accused. Officials suspect the trio may have duped others in a similar manner and are probing further leads.