Cops Arrest Key Accused In Pune's Medical College Admission Cheating Case

Police have arrested a key accused in a case where a Mumbai resident was cheated of around Rs 81 lakh in the name of facilitating admission for his son in an MD course at Pune's BJ Medical College, an official said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Anil Ramchandra Tambat, was caught from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra, around 375km from the metropolis, on Sunday by a Mumbai police team after a 10-month-long investigation into the case, said the Borivali police station official.

According to the official, Tambat and his co-conspirators Sandeep Waghmare, Abhijeet Patil, and Bhushan Patil have been charged with duping a businessman dealing in medical devices.

The complainant in the case, Mangesh Anant Rane, a resident of Mumbai's Kandivali who runs a medical and surgical supply business, was looking for admission for his son, who completed his MBBS in 2019, in an MD programme. Despite his efforts, Rane's son could not secure admission to an MD course, said the official.

Later, Rane came in contact with Waghmare who introduced him to Abhijeet Patil, Tambat and Bhushan Patil. They assured Rane that his son would get a seat through the government quota. On their suggestion, the businessman's son reapplied for NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Postgraduate) exam, he said.

Three days later, Rane received an email claiming his son had secured a seat at BJ Medical College, Pune. Believing the email was from the college, Rane followed the next steps and submitted all necessary documents, including his son's certificates, said the official.

The businessman then paid Rs 94 lakh to Tambat, Rs 8.5 lakh to Abhijeet Patil, Rs 23 lakh to Waghmare, and Rs 11 lakh to Bhushan Patil, totalling Rs 1.36 crore. After receiving the money, the four sent a set of documents along with a "college ID card" to the businessman, claiming his son had secured admission in the prestigious college, he said.

However, Rane later discovered that the documents and the ID card were fake and when he demanded his money back, they returned Rs 55 lakh, but withheld Rs 81 lakh. Instead of retuning the remaining money, the four fraudsters threatened to kidnap and kill his son if he approached the police, said the official.

Later, Rane lodged a complaint against them with the Borivali police which filed an FIR and launched an investigation.

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