Pune: Seven people cheated of ₹47 lakh in engineering admission scam; five accused booked at Chandannagar Police Station

Seven Pune residents allegedly cheated of ₹47 lakh after being promised engineering college seats through management quota. Police register a cheating case against five accused at Chandannagar Police Station.

8 November 2025, Pune –A major education fraud has come to light in Pune after seven people were allegedly duped of ₹47 lakh by a group claiming to provide engineering admissions through the management quota. The incident was reported at Chandannagar Police Station after the victims realised that the promised admissions were never processed. According to the complaint filed by 53-year-old Rajgopal Vaishnav, he came across a social media advertisement that assured direct B.Tech admission in well-known engineering colleges.

The advertisement appeared credible and mentioned institutions like COEP and Thapar University. Believing the offer, he contacted the people behind the firm, who identified themselves as representatives of a consultancy named “Your Next Step”. Vaishnav later visited their office located at Bhaktamar Residency in Kalyaninagar Annex, where he met the accused individuals, including Shivam Sharma alias Gopi Krishna, Karan Lonkar, Viteen Singh, Priyanka Kumari and two more associates. They assured him that his daughter would get a confirmed engineering seat through management quota for ₹15 lakh. The accused demanded an initial advance payment, claiming that the seat would be blocked only after part of the amount was transferred.

Trusting their assurances, Vaishnav paid ₹4 lakh as the first instalment. Gradually, he paid additional amounts, reaching a total of ₹15 lakh. Despite the payments, no admission letter or confirmation from any institute was provided to him. When Vaishnav demanded updates, he was repeatedly given excuses, including delays in the admission process and pending approvals from the college management. On 9 August 2025, Vaishnav went to the office again, only to find it shut. The accused had disappeared, and the office no longer operated. As he began reaching out to other parents, he learned that six more families had been cheated in the same manner. The victims had paid between ₹5 lakh and ₹15 lakh each, adding up to a combined loss of ₹47 lakh.

The police confirmed that similar promises were made to all complainants, with each being assured that their children would be placed in reputed engineering colleges through “secured quota seats”. After reviewing the evidence, Chandannagar Police registered a case of cheating, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy against the five named accused. Officers are now tracing their whereabouts and verifying if the same group has cheated more families across Pune or other cities. This case highlights a growing pattern where fraudsters exploit the stress and urgency around competitive admissions.

With most parents desperate to secure seats for their children, fake consultancies often use glossy offers, rented office spaces and convincing presentations to gain trust. Police officials have urged students and parents to verify admission agents, cross-check college affiliations and avoid paying large sums upfront. Authorities have also appealed to the public to report suspicious education consultancies immediately so similar frauds can be prevented. The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to track financial transactions, phone records and digital advertisements linked to the accused individuals.

Follow us On Our Social media Handles :
Instagram
Youtube
Facebook
Twitter

Also Read- Pune