Nagpur: Shaikh Maqsood, an Amravati-based contractor, has been duped to the tune of Rs seven lakh by people posing as office bearers of Indian Council of Higher Education, promising a MBBS seat for his daughter. The offence was registered against the racketeers, who also claimed to be close to a senior minister, at Sitabuldi police station on Wednesday.
Maqsood had come across a pamphlet, seemingly to be have been distributed by the racketeers, in which it was mentioned that the students aspiring for admission in medical stream would be assisted. Name and contact number of Shankar Manwatkar, who is one of the accused in the case, was mentioned in the pamphlet. The racketeers had demanded Rs22 lakh but Maqsood had only paid Rs10 lakh.
The racketeers had returned Rsthree lakh to Maqsood after he threatened them of action when the admission did not materialize. The racketeers had promised an admission at a medical college at Solapur under a special quota which was supposed to be allotted by the minister.
Apart from Manwatkar, the others have been identified as Saurabh Shrivastav, Sachin Uttalkar, Ulhas Seware, Pramod and Prabhakar. The racketeers introduced Shrivastav as the Director of the body while Uttalkar as also one of the senior officials. They had claimed that Shrivastav and Uttalkar were based in Mumbai while Prabhakar and Pramod were based in Delhi.
Police said the offence had been registered at Sitabuldi as the victims had paid the amount at an eatery within it’s limits.