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‘MBBS seats for Rs 25-30 lakh’: Doctor among 4 held as admissions racket busted; 18 students rescued day before NEET
Police have recovered 149 pages of fabricated question-answer material, blank signed cheques belonging to victims, and other incriminating documents.
elhi Police has launched a dedicated Bomb Threat (E-mail) Investigation Cell to tackle the surge in fake alerts.
In a major crackdown on an organised admission fraud, the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch busted a racket that allegedly lured National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) aspirants with false promises of securing MBBS seats. Just a day before their entrance exam, 18 students, including minors, were rescued on Saturday and four accused were arrested, including a doctor, who studied from Kyrgyzstan, and the alleged mastermind of the racket, said officers. The students were rescued during raids at several locations where the accused had taken them on the pretext of providing important questions.
During questioning, investigators found that the accused had allegedly struck deals ranging between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh per candidate, collecting cash, original academic documents and blank signed cheques from parents in return for false assurances of guaranteed admission. “This was a well-structured network that preyed upon the aspirations of students and their guardians,” said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, DCP, Crime Branch, adding that timely intervention ensured the safety of all the students involved. The four accused have been identified as Santosh Kumar Jaiswal (50), a graduate and the alleged mastermind and a resident of East of Kailash in Delhi ; Dr Akhlaq Alam alias Golden Alam (25), a native of Gopalganj, Bihar, who has completed his MBBS from Kyrgyzstan and is currently preparing for the screening test conducted by the National Medical Commission (NMC) to practise in India; Sant Pratap Singh (59), a B Tech graduate from Pune and a property dealer-cum-builder based in Lucknow; and Vinod Bhai Bhikha Bhai Patel (52), a Surat-based broker.
The accused had been targeting families, particularly from Gujarat. Elaborating on the modus operandi, the DCP said, “Jaiswal was the main person behind the entire operation. He brought in his associate Vinod Patel, who helped identify and approach families. Akhlaq Alam’s role was to prepare the so-called question papers, while Sant Pratap Singh handled logistics, including accommodation and meeting points.”
Police said the operation was unearthed following an input from Surat Police about a suspect claiming to arrange medical admissions through technical surveillance. The accused was traced to Mahipalpur in Southwest Delhi, where Crime Branch teams searched nearly 100 hotels before zeroing in on the suspects. Acting swiftly, teams tracked their movement and laid a trap near a hospital in Ghaziabad, rescuing three students and arresting Santosh Jaiswal. Later, raids at a flat in Ghaziabad, which belonged to SP Singh, led to the rescue of 15 more students. A team under the joint leadership of Inspectors Sunil Kalkhande, Yashendra Singh, and Mahipal Singh supervised by Satendra Mohan, ACP, Central Range, was formed to trace the suspects.
Police have recovered 149 pages of fabricated question-answer material, and blank signed cheques.
“We prioritised the safety of the students. Many of them were scheduled to appear for the exam the very next day. They were counselled and allowed to proceed,” Yadav said.
Police added that Alam had completed his MBBS from Kyrgyzstanbut had not yet cleared the screening test conducted by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which is a mandatory practice in India.
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According to investigators, the accused would take part of the payment in cash and secure the remaining amount through signed cheques, along with original documents, to maintain control over the victims. “They would take some payment in cash and secure the remaining amount through cheques to ensure compliance from the victims,” Yadav said.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station, and all four accused have been arrested and taken into custody for further interrogation.
Delhi Police has urged students and parents to remain cautious of fraudulent schemes offering guaranteed admissions. “Admissions to professional courses like MBBS are strictly merit-based. Any claim of securing seats through illegal means should be treated with suspicion,” Yadav said, warning that such rackets thrive in the high-pressure environment surrounding competitive exams.
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