Mumbai: The city crime branch on Thursday arrested three persons from Delhi who allegedly targeted MBA aspirants seeking admission to prestigious institutions such as Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS). They promised high percentiles in the MBA-CET in exchange for hefty sums ranging from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
Those arrested have been identified as Abhisek Dilipkumar Srivastav (20), Chetan Kumar (22), Aditya Raj Anilkumar, and Amereshkumar Abhaykumar (23). Police are also searching for a few more accomplices who are on the run.
The scam came to light when several candidates reported receiving unsolicited calls from individuals claiming they could secure high percentiles, facilitating admissions into top colleges. The fraudsters demanded payments ranging from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 20 lakh and instructed candidates to prioritise specific districts—Bhandara, Gondia, Yavatmal, and Jalna—during the application process.
One such complaint was lodged by Abhishek Joshi, a project coordinator at “Eduspark,” the service provider responsible for managing the online registration and examination process for the State Common Entrance Test Cell, Maharashtra. According to the FIR, candidates Devesh Rane, Vishal Satpute, and Sarvesh More were among those approached by the fraudsters, who claimed they could manipulate the examination system to boost scores.
In response to these allegations, the state CET cell formed a confidential committee to investigate the matter. Subsequently, on March 13, 2025, the commissioner of the state CET cell reported the issue to the Mumbai Police, urging action to prevent malpractice in the upcoming examinations. The Azad Maidan police registered an offence under various sections of cheating, forgery, breach of trust, and the Information Technology Act, and the case was transferred to unit 5 of the crime branch.
During investigations, a student provided an audio recording and WhatsApp screenshots of the conversation with the scammers. Similar complaints followed from Vishal Satpute and Sarvesh More, with each student reporting that they were promised a 99 percentile and guaranteed admission for a price. Upon deeper investigation, it was discovered that the accused stole candidate data from the state CET registration system and contacted aspirants directly. Following a technical investigation, the mobile numbers were traced to Mehrauli, South Delhi, from where these four accused were arrested and brought to Mumbai.
The accused were found in possession of multiple mobile phones and laptops used in the crime. Investigators also recovered chat logs and call recordings confirming their involvement. “This is a serious case of data theft and examination fraud, targeting vulnerable students. We are investigating the possibility of insider involvement.”