The Noida Police announced on Monday that they have arrested six individuals in connection with a large-scale scam targeting students seeking admission to prestigious colleges and universities. According to a police officer, this gang, which operated out of offices in both Noida and Pune, has allegedly deceived hundreds of students, amassing fraudulent earnings amounting to "crores of rupees." The authorities are continuing their investigation to uncover the full extent of the scam and identify all those involved.
Additional DCP (Noida) Manish Kumar Mishra said, "We have seized, among other items, 61 post-dated cheques totalling Rs 5.06 crore from the gang's possession. A total of six people, including two women, were arrested on Sunday night by officials of Sector 113 police station. Those arrested have been identified as Rahul Kumar (30), Anupam Kumar (28), Dayanand Pandey (25), Sachin Singh (25), Vidushi Lohia (37), and Nikita Upadhyay (24), police said.
What did the police say?
The police revealed that a seventh member of the gang, known as Sonu Kumar, who also goes by the alias Ranveer Singh, remains at large. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Noida-3), Shavya Goyal, disclosed that the gang employed social media platforms as a means to prey on unsuspecting students. This tactic allowed them to reach a wide audience of hopeful aspirants, furthering their fraudulent activities. Authorities are intensifying their efforts to locate and apprehend Sonu Kumar, as they continue to dismantle the network and prevent further exploitation of students.
FIR registered
"Except for top institutes like the IITs or the IIMs, the gang members would assure admission to students in almost all colleges and universities across courses," Goyal told reporters. An FIR has been lodged under the Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 467, 468, 471 (all three related to forgery), 34 (act done by several persons with common intention), the police said. The accused have also been booked under provisions of the Information Technology Act, they said, adding that they were being produced in a local court for further legal proceedings.
(With inputs from PTI)
