Bengaluru conman cheats 104 international students, nabbed

BENGALURU: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths have arrested a fraudster for cheating around 104 foreign students looking for admission in Bengaluru-based colleges. The accused, Sameer Khan alias Sameer, a resident of Muneshwara Nagar in Kaval Byrasandra, claimed to be the owner of a private college in Sanjaynagar and gave admission to the students for degree and language courses. He also gave bonafide certificates which were admissible as supporting documents when the students applied for visa. Only after landing in the city did they realise that they have been conned. Of the 104 students, most of them are from Yemen. 

The incident came to light after the FRRO officials approached the college to confirm if all the foreign students had taken admission. The college management, however, informed the FRRO that the accused was not the owner of their college and no foreign students were studying there. 

The FRRO filed a complaint against Khan on April 6 at the Sanjaynagar police station, which transferred the case to CCB for further investigation. 

“Most of the students had come to enrol in some certification courses in English language. They are being tracked. The accused has violated visa conditions by allowing students to enter the country by issuing fake college admission certificates.

We are checking if the college had any role in the fraud. We are also not ruling out the possibility of admission agents in the fraud,” said an officer, who is part of the investigations.