A shocking incident of fraud has come to light from the education sector in Pune, where 13 medical aspirants were allegedly cheated by promising MBBS admissions under the management quota. The two accused collected a total amount of Rs 1.26 crore from the students’ parents, shut down their office and fled, leaving the victims and even their own employees in the lurch.
The accused have been identified as Rajesh Gupta and Brijesh Arya. The alleged offences took place between November 1 and December 6, 2025.
According to the police, the accused followed a well-planned modus operandi. They advertised MBBS admissions on social media, set up an office in a prominent commercial building in Balewadi, hired young women as staff, and convinced parents that they could secure admissions in various medical colleges through the management quota.
To gain trust, the accused accepted payments through cheques and RTGS transfers. After collecting large sums of money, they suddenly closed the office and absconded.
The accused had assured one of the victims of admission in Dr Ulhas Patil Medical College and Hospital in Jalgaon, as well as other medical colleges in the state. They allegedly collected a total of Rs 1,26,28,000 from 13 victims. The seven women working in their office were also made to work for a month without being paid their salaries.
A CCTV business owner (one of the victims ) from Chandrapur has lodged a complaint at Baner Police Station. Based on the complaint, police have registered a case against the accused.
According to the information received, the complainant’s wife came across an advertisement on Facebook regarding MBBS admissions. Her daughter is a medical aspirant. After contacting the number mentioned in the advertisement, a woman identified as Sejal Nachane directed them to meet Rajesh Gupta at an office named Ignite Ed Ventures, located in Baner.
On November 10, the family visited the office, where the accused assured them of an MBBS seat at Dr Ulhas Patil Medical College in Jalgaon in exchange for a donation of Rs 35 lakh, with the option of instalment payments. The complainant paid Rs 3 lakh as a token amount by cheque. Later, the accused issued a client agreement on their letterhead detailing the terms.
The family was later asked to bring Rs 7 lakh while visiting Jalgaon. On December 6, the accused called them to Jalgaon for the admission process, met them at a hotel, provided an admission form, affixed the student’s photograph, and collected original documents along with a demand draft of Rs. 6,27,803 towards annual fees. They assured the family that they would complete the admission formalities at the college the next morning.
However, on December 7, when the family reached the college, the accused were untraceable, and their mobile phones were switched off. On returning to Pune, the complainant found the Balewadi office locked and abandoned. It was then that the family realised that they had been cheated.
Chandrashekhar Sawant, Senior Police Inspector, Baner Police Station, said, “The complaints from 13 victims have been received so far, amounting to Rs 1.26 crore. The matter is under investigation. Accordingly, action will be taken.”
