Vadodara: A city-based businessman was allegedly duped of Rs 55 lakh by five persons who promised to secure his son’s admission to a medical college.The businessman, Mukesh Dixit, has lodged a complaint of cheating against the accused at Gorwa police station.According to the complaint, Dixit’s son had completed Class 12 in the science stream and wanted to pursue medicine. In 2019, Dixit came across an advertisement offering assistance in securing medical college admission and approached Ajitesh Sarangi.Sarangi, along with Yajnik Divyakant, Ranjit Mukhiya and Sanjiv Jha, allegedly met Dixit at his office and claimed they had helped several students secure admission to medical colleges.The accused told Dixit that his son’s admission would cost Rs 60 lakh, of which Rs 10 lakh had to be paid initially. Dixit paid the amount, following which the accused allegedly showed him a letter purportedly related to his son’s admission process.The accused subsequently told Dixit that they had also completed the process for filling his son’s NEET application in May 2019 and asked him to pay another Rs 45 lakh. Dixit’s son appeared for the NEET examination, but when Dixit sought updates on the admission, the accused allegedly kept assuring him that it would be secured in 2020.When the admission did not materialise, Dixit demanded a refund. The accused allegedly issued him a cheque, but it bounced and the money was not returned. The fifth accused has been identified as Tejal Sarangi.Police said a similar case had been registered at Gorwa police station in 2023 after Ramesh Makwana was allegedly cheated of Rs 65 lakh on the promise of securing his son’s admission to a medical college in Gotri.In another case that year, police had busted a racket allegedly targeting parents seeking medical college admissions and arrested a man identified as Prakash Vidyarthi. According to police, the gang created bogus websites resembling those of reputed medical colleges and approached parents with assurances that their children’s admissions could be secured.
