Mumbai: Woman Duped of ₹45 Lakh in Fake Medical Admission Scam; One Arrested, Three Absconding

The Versova Police have arrested a woman named Meghna Santosh Satpute for allegedly cheating a 51-year-old woman of ₹45 lakh under the pretext of securing medical college admission for her daughter. Three others — Nitesh Bhaskar Pawar, a man referred to as Sawant Kaka, and Rakesh Gawde — have also been named as co-accused in the case. The accused reportedly claimed to be trustees of the Sindhudurg-based SSMP Medical College and relatives of senior BJP leader Narayan Rane.

The complainant, Sanjana Gondhale, a resident of Versova village in Andheri, works as a medical assistant at a private clinic. Following the death of her husband in 2015, she has been supporting her two children. Her 23-year-old daughter, Mitali, is currently studying BHMS in Bengaluru. Her younger daughter had appeared for the NEET exam and scored 315 marks, after which the family began searching for medical admission opportunities.

Meghna Satpute, who was known to the family, introduced Sanjana to Nitesh Pawar and Rakesh Gawde. Claiming to be trustees at SSMP Medical College & Lifetime Hospital in Sindhudurg, and allegedly related to BJP leader Narayan Rane, they assured Sanjana that Mitali would be given admission under the management quota. They told her that only two seats were available, one of which could be secured for her daughter.

Initially, Sanjana paid ₹15 lakh based on their assurances. However, citing COVID-19 delays and a change in college admission rules, the accused demanded an additional ₹30 lakh, taking the total to ₹45 lakh. They promised that no further expenses would be incurred once this amount was paid.

To build credibility, Meghna and one of the accused, known as Sawant Kaka, presented fake documents showing that Mitali's name was on the merit list and that she had been granted admission. They even showed documents with fake trustee seals and signatures. Believing them, Sanjana transferred ₹38.65 lakh via NEFT and paid ₹6.35 lakh in cash in phases between March 2021 and April 2024. To arrange the money, she borrowed from relatives.

However, when Mitali did not receive any admission confirmation, Sanjana began questioning them. In response, the accused threatened her and claimed her daughter’s admission would be cancelled if she continued to ask questions. They offered to return only 50% of the amount if she stayed quiet. Eventually, all the accused blocked her number and became unreachable.

Sensing foul play, Sanjana contacted the SSMP Medical College, where she learned that no admission had been granted to her daughter and that none of the accused were associated with the college in any official capacity.

Realizing she had been duped, Sanjana filed a complaint at Versova Police Station. Based on her statement, a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust was registered against Meghna Satpute, Nitesh Pawar, Sawant Kaka, and Rakesh Gawde.

Meghna was arrested from Andheri, where she worked as a nurse. During interrogation, she confessed to her role in the scam and named the other three as co-conspirators. While Meghna has been remanded to police custody, efforts are underway to trace and arrest the remaining accused.