Amid NEET scam, Kolkata coaching centre owner arrested for defrauding a medical aspirant

The Kolkata police said they are investigating whether the accused is part of a larger racket connected to the pan-India NEET irregularities.

kolkata, NEET aspirant, institute owner arrested, indian express

The Kolkata police said they are investigating whether the accused is part of a larger racket connected to the pan-India NEET irregularities. (Representational Photo)

Amid allegations of irregularities in NEET 2023 conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), the Kolkata police on Tuesday arrested the head of a coaching centre for allegedly defrauding a medical aspirant by guaranteeing her a seat in a government college in West Bengal in exchange for a large sum of money.

The victim reportedly paid Sourish Ghosh of Bibek Academy of Career Toppers around Rs 16 lakh but she did not get admission to any college. As per the police, the accused sent the complainant fake documents showing that his daughter’s name had been enlisted for admission to a state-run medical college in West Bengal.

Ghosh and a few others were named in the First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station under sections 120 b (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (whoever fraudulently or dishonestly uses as genuine any document) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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“The FIR named the accused person as being the head of Bibek Academy of Career Toppers. Ghosh hatched a criminal conspiracy with his associates and induced the complainant that a seat in any government medical college would be arranged for his daughter and asked the complainant to deposit the required amount either in cash or in their account. The complainant deposited Rs 11,80,000 to the account of the accused person and also handed over Rs. 5,00,000 in cash,” said a senior police officer.

The Kolkata police said they are investigating whether the accused is part of a larger racket connected to the pan-India NEET irregularities.

After being arrested, Ghosh was produced in a court and remanded to police custody until July 5.

Sweety Kumari

Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More

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