Fraudsters Steal $1.26 Crore in Fake Medical College Admission Scam

On November 5, 2025, it was revealed that a criminal gang had perpetrated an elaborate fraud, cheating four people out of a total of Rs 1.26 crore ($1.5 million) by posing as medical admission consultants in Uttar Pradesh.

The accused had set up a fake consultancy office in Vijayant Khand, Gomtinagar, under the name 'Study Pathway Consultancy'. They claimed to be admission partners of the Hind Institute of Medical Sciences and lured victims with the promise of securing MBBS seats in reputable private medical colleges.

One of the victims, Vijay Bahadur, a resident of Santpuram in Indiranagar, had contacted the consultancy in June 2025 while searching for MBBS admission options for his nephew. He was told the admission process would cost Rs 55 lakh ($68,000), including tuition fees and brokerage charges. Vijay initially paid Rs 15 lakh ($18,500) and later an additional Rs 30 lakh ($37,000) in cash as instructed by the accused.

However, when the admission result was delayed, Vijay's attempts to reach the consultancy went unanswered, and the office was found locked. Investigations revealed the accused had misused the Hind Institute of Medical Sciences' name and deposited the money into a bank account before withdrawing the funds and closing the office.

In addition to Vijay, three other victims were identified - Rajesh Verma from Indore who paid Rs 20 lakh ($25,000), Deep Singh from Fatehpur who lost Rs 38 lakh ($47,000), and Preeti Singh from Sushant Golf City who was cheated out of Rs 23 lakh ($28,500). The police have registered a case and are working to trace the members of the fraudulent gang.