A fresh case of major education-related fraud has surfaced in Lucknow, where two employees of Study Path Way Consultancy, located in the Vibhutikhand area, allegedly duped a city resident of ₹22 lakh on the pretext of securing an MBBS admission for his son. Acting on the complaint, the police have registered an FIR and initiated a probe into the consultancy’s operations.
This incident comes just days after the same consultancy was booked by four other complainants who alleged a scam of ₹1.26 crore in the name of facilitating medical college admissions. The back-to-back cases have raised serious concerns about the increasing misuse of “admission consultancy” services and a possible organised racket exploiting aspirants after NEET.
Assurance of a Medical Seat, Gradual Extraction of Money
According to the FIR, Om Prakash, a resident of Crystal View Apartments in Chinhat, approached Study Path Way Consultancy seeking assistance for securing an MBBS seat for his son. At the consultancy office, he met Abhinav Verma and Shivangi Mishra, who introduced themselves as admission coordinators.
The duo reportedly assured him that they had strong links with several private medical colleges across North India, and could arrange a seat under a “direct quota” system. Believing their claims, Om Prakash agreed to begin the process.
Police officials stated that the accused first collected money under the pretext of “processing charges” and “document verification”, and later demanded further amounts for seat allotment and fee submission. In total, ₹22 lakh was transferred over multiple instalments.
Despite repeated assurances, no admission letter, receipt, or college confirmation was ever provided to the complainant.
When Patience Ran Out, Fraud Came to Light
After months of waiting without any progress, Om Prakash grew suspicious as the consultancy continued to promise “next week updates”. When he demanded authentic documents and admission proof, the accused allegedly avoided him and offered vague responses.
Left with no option, he approached the Vibhutikhand police station and lodged a complaint.
Inspector stated:
“The complainant has alleged that the accused neither secured the admission nor returned the money. An FIR has been registered. We have sought all related documents from the complainant and have begun our investigation.”
Police are now examining the consultancy’s bank statements, transaction records, communication logs and mobile data of the accused employees to ascertain the scale of the fraud and identify other potential victims.
Rising Complaints Against the Same Consultancy
As per police records, this is the fifth major case filed against Study Path Way Consultancy. Earlier, four complainants had alleged that the consultancy collected ₹1.26 crore from them promising MBBS admissions in well-known private institutions but later disappeared without providing any documentation.
The recurring allegations have raised suspicion that the consultancy may be part of a larger medical admission fraud network.
Investigators believe that:
- Large sums were extracted from multiple applicants
- Fake receipts and fabricated assurances were provided
- No proven link between the consultancy and any medical college has emerged so far
‘Direct Admission’ Scams Surge After NEET
Officials and education experts have repeatedly warned that after NEET results are announced each year, several unauthorised consultancies approach students with false claims of:
- Management quota seats,
- Direct admission,
- Guaranteed MBBS seat,
- Last-minute vacant seats, etc.
Experts emphasise that:
- No MBBS admission is possible without NEET qualification,
- No private agency can legally guarantee a seat,
- Students with lower ranks are often targeted by fraudsters promising “assured entry”.
Police have advised parents and students to rely solely on NMC, NTA, and State Counselling Authority portals for authentic information regarding MBBS admissions.
Next Steps: Police Prepare to Tighten the Noose
The Vibhutikhand police are collecting all financial and documentary evidence linked to the consultancy. Officials said that if the allegations are substantiated, the accused will face charges under:
- Cheating,
- Criminal breach of trust,
- and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.
Authorities are also exploring whether all complaints against the consultancy are interconnected and part of an organised admission fraud syndicate.
