A woman and her father were allegedly duped of ₹36.68 lakh in Kanpur’s Kalyanpur area after being promised an assistant professor’s job and admission to a PhD programme.
The accused, an acquaintance of the woman’s uncle, allegedly claimed to have high-level contacts in the University Grants Commission and assured her that he could arrange the teaching job, admission to a PhD programme at Jhansi Central University and a PhD guide.
Neither the promised job nor the admission materialised, following which a police case was registered.
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How Did the Fraud Begin?
The woman, a resident of Chaitanya Vihar, had appeared for the National Eligibility Test in December 2023.
After the results were declared, the accused allegedly approached her and claimed to have strong connections in the UGC.
He allegedly told her that he could arrange an assistant professor’s appointment along with admission to a PhD programme and a research guide.
Why Were Her Documents Taken?
According to the complaint, after gaining the woman’s confidence, the accused took her admit card and academic certificates.
He subsequently began demanding money for different purposes allegedly connected to the promised appointment and PhD admission.
The family continued making payments believing that the process would eventually lead to the promised academic opportunities.
What Was the Money Taken For?
In February 2024, money was allegedly collected in the name of training.
Further payments were allegedly sought in March for university admission, a laptop, a dress kit and arranging a PhD guide.
The demands allegedly continued for other expenses, including arranging a room, paying electricity bills and depositing vehicle tax.
The accused allegedly assured the woman and her father that the money would be returned after she received the appointment and joined the job.
When the promised joining did not take place for a long period, the woman became suspicious.
She stopped making further payments after June 2024 and demanded that the money already paid be returned.
According to the complaint, the accused then began avoiding the issue and failed to provide a satisfactory response.
How Was the UGC Claim Exposed?
The woman checked a mobile number that had allegedly been given to her as the contact number of a UGC official.
According to the complaint, the number was not registered in the name of a UGC official. Instead, it was allegedly found to be registered in the accused’s own name.
This increased the woman’s suspicion that she had been deceived using claims of connections with the government academic body.
What Did the Woman Allege?
The woman later submitted a complaint to the Governor and was advised to approach the police.
She alleged that after the accused learned about her complaint, he threatened to kill her on July 2.
She also claimed that the accused still possesses her stamp papers, Aadhaar cards belonging to family members and four blank cheques.
What Are Police Investigating?
Following a complaint to the Police Commissioner, a case was registered at Kalyanpur police station.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police said the allegations were being investigated.
Police are examining financial transactions, documents and other evidence connected with the case. Bank transactions involving the ₹36.68 lakh allegedly collected in the name of the job and PhD admission are also under examination.
Further action will be taken on the basis of evidence gathered during the investigation.
The420 Takeaway: Verify Before You Pay
Job seekers and students should be cautious when anyone claims personal connections with regulators or universities and asks for money to secure a job, admission or academic position.
Such offers should be independently verified with the concerned institution before documents, blank cheques or money are handed over.
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