Days after a prominent Pune-based private university was defrauded of ₹2.46 crore, the city’s cyber police have arrested a 34-year-old electronics and telecommunication engineer with a PhD from a UK university. The accused, identified as Seetaiah Kilaru of Yapral, Hyderabad, allegedly posed as an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay professor to trick the institution into paying “fees” for fictitious government-funded research projects.
An FIR was filed on September 6 by the university’s chief education officer. Investigations revealed that between July 25 and August 26, 2025, the accused orchestrated a complex impersonation scheme, luring the university into transferring money under the guise of collaborations with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on AI and drone projects.
The Modus Operandi: False Promises of Crores in Research Funding
According to the complaint, the fraudster first sent a text message introducing himself as a well-known educationist and former Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University. He later directed the complainant to a number supposedly belonging to an IIT Bombay professor.
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The impersonator claimed that a ₹28-crore drone research project had been sanctioned by the government, requiring the university to transfer 2% of the project cost (₹56 lakh) as an entry fee. Over the next three weeks, the fraudster fabricated additional opportunities — projects valued at ₹23 crore and ₹72 crore — demanding corresponding fees of ₹46 lakh and ₹1.44 crore. Each time, the university transferred the money to accounts controlled by the fraudster.
By late August, when the alleged professor promised to visit the campus to sign MoUs but subsequently cut off all communication, the university grew suspicious. After direct verification with IIT Bombay, officials realised they had been conned and approached the cybercrime police.
Police Crackdown and Arrest in Hyderabad
Based on digital forensics, including analysis of mobile numbers, email IDs, and bank accounts, investigators traced the fraud back to Seetaiah Kilaru. A cybercrime team arrested him on September 21 in Hyderabad, secured a transit remand, and brought him to Pune.
Police seized 10 debit cards, 13 bank passbooks, 15 cheque books, laptops, phones, gold purchase receipts, and two cars, all allegedly purchased with fraud proceeds. A Pune court remanded him to police custody until September 28.
A Scholar Turned Serial Fraudster
Investigators say Kilaru’s background is as remarkable as it is troubling. A PhD holder from the UK, he has worked briefly at the University of Hyderabad and even twice cleared the prelims and mains of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. He also taught at a UPSC coaching academy.
Despite his academic record, police noted that he has been booked in over half a dozen fraud and impersonation cases since 2023, including past arrests. The latest case, targeting an academic institution, reflects his use of insider knowledge of research funding processes to exploit trust and credibility.
Larger Lessons for Institutions
Police officials said the case underscores the urgent need for educational institutions to verify all communications regarding research collaborations, especially those claiming links to premier institutes like IITs or defence organisations.
“Cybercriminals are exploiting the academic sector’s eagerness to collaborate on high-value projects,” an officer remarked. “Due diligence and direct verification with official channels must be non-negotiable.”
The Pune cyber police continue to investigate the money trail and are coordinating with banks to freeze and recover funds wherever possible.
