Four people deceived a doctor from South Mumbai by taking Rs 15 lakhs from him with a promise of securing admission to master's and postgraduate radiology programs in Spain without having to go through any entrance exams. The fraudsters created this scam by producing two fake letters claiming to be from the Barcelona City Council and the Spanish Health Department.
The Dongri police are currently investigating this case thoroughly. The victim, Dr. Mohammad Junaid Girnari, a 28-year-old resident of Dongri and a doctor at a reputable hospital in Girgaon, had completed his MBBS from Georgia and aimed to pursue further studies in radiology in Spain. He came across an advertisement for a postgraduate program in Spain on Instagram on March 23. Dr. Junaid contacted the provided mobile number, which belonged to Vivek Kumar.
Vivek Kumar communicated with the doctor through Google Meet, offering a program that would cost Rs 15 lakhs over five years. He convinced Dr. Junaid by promising Spanish language training for three months, arranging a six-month radiology internship at a Barcelona hospital, and ensuring admission to master's and postgraduate radiology programs in Spain without the need for exams.
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To build trust, Vivek Kumar arranged conversations for Dr. Junaid with current MBBS students in Spain and provided various documents, including a letter from the Barcelona City Council to the Spanish Ministry of Education, an admission letter from the University of Barcelona for Spanish language studies, confirmation of accommodation in Spain, visa arrangements, and an air ticket.
In July of the previous year, Dr. Junaid traveled to Spain as agreed. However, upon reaching there, he was directed to enroll in a college in Barcelona instead of going to the university for Spanish language studies as promised. Suspicions arose when local authorities questioned the authenticity of the letter from the Barcelona Municipal Corporation forwarded by the Ministry of Education.
Additionally, the letter claiming admission to a radiology master's program at Juan Carlos Hospital was found to be fake. Dr. Junaid returned to Mumbai on April 22 due to his visa expiring and promptly filed a complaint of financial fraud amounting to Rs 15 lakhs against Vivek Kumar, Rahul Gautam, Archana Gautam, and Pushpak with the Dongri Police Station.