Thane woman duped of Rs 12.5 lakh in fake IIT Bombay admission scam

Representational image. File pic

A man has allegedly cheated a Thane-based woman of Rs 12.5 lakh by posing as a senior government official and promising her son's admission to IIT Bombay, police said on Wednesday.

As reported by news agency PTI, the accused, who resided in the same housing complex as the woman in the Diva area, posed as an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. He further claimed to have a strong influence in various government departments with an aim to dupe the victims.

The accused assured the 45-year-old woman that he could secure admission for her son in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

An official from the Mumbra Police station, while briefing about the case, said, "On this pretext, he collected Rs 12,50,000 from the victim over a period of time in 2023," as cited by PTI.

However, when the promise did not materialise, and the woman questioned him, the accused gave evasive replies.

Days after paying the accused Rs 12.5 lakh, the woman realised that she had been duped. After taking things into consideration, she approached the police and filed a complaint earlier this week.

The officials further added that an FIR was registered on Monday against the accused under relevant legal provisions for cheating, forgery and impersonation, as per PTI.

Mumbai temple priest duped of Rs 84 lakh in fake flat deal

Earlier, in a different scenario, a 52-year-old temple priest from Vikhroli was allegedly duped of Rs 84 lakh in a fake flat deal in a Bhandup redevelopment project. Police have booked a developer, his associate, and bank officials for cheating and criminal conspiracy.

Police have booked a developer, his associate and bank officials, alleging that the accused built credibility through a bank-sanctioned home loan and selectively verified documents, before routing large sums through multiple accounts and concealing prior transfer of development rights.

How the deal was made to look legitimate

• Home loan of Rs 33 lakh arranged via the accused's contacts
• Loan sanctioned and disbursed by bank officials
• Payments made via bank transfers, cheques, and online modes

What exposed the fraud

Civil dispute filed in 2023 by original project stakeholders

Probe revealed

• The flat belonged to an original member, not the accused
• Development rights were already transferred years earlier
• Key facts concealed

(With inputs from PTI)