Powai Police Bust Engineering Admission Racket, Arrest 10 in Pune Raids
The Powai police have busted an engineering admission fraud ring, arresting 10 individuals, including alleged mastermind Sonu Kumar, for cheating at least 35 victims of approximately Rs 50 lakh by promising fraudulent management and NRI-quota seats.
The arrests followed an extensive operation carried out in Pune. After tracking the suspects' location near the Pune airport, a team from the Powai police conducted a 36-hour search across the locality. On August 15, the police raided three rented flats in Pune's Viman Nagar area, taking all 10 accused into custody.
Investigators revealed that Kumar, a 32-year-old BTech graduate and alumnus of MIT College in Pune, devised the scheme after remaining unemployed since 2024. Following the failure of a previous real estate venture, Kumar allegedly drew upon his familiarity with collegiate admission procedures to orchestrate the scam.
To execute the plan, Kumar enlisted nine other unemployed engineers hailing from Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh. According to the police, the accused deceived their own families by claiming they were staying in Pune for a four-month company project. While operating out of the three rented Viman Nagar flats, the group posed as tourists to avoid arousing suspicion from local residents.
The syndicate operated primarily through digital channels. The accused created fake accounts on social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, to identify and contact prospective engineering students online. Operating with burner phones and multiple SIM cards, the members gained the confidence of applicants and their families before demanding money for guaranteed seats.
Senior Inspector Atmaji Sawant confirmed that all 10 individuals involved in the operation were either unemployed or had been working small jobs prior to joining the racket.
