The arrest of a Mathura-trained engineer has uncovered one of India's most sophisticated education fraud networks, with investigators revealing an astonishing Rs 100 crore NEET admission racket that spanned six states and involved international travel to over 110 countries.
The Global Lifestyle of an Alleged Fraudster
Abhinav Sharma, a 35-year-old BTech Mechanical Engineering graduate from an obscure private college, lived a life that rivaled top corporate executives while allegedly building his criminal empire. According to DCP crime Kamlesh Dixit, Sharma's lifestyle was "unmatched" as he traveled business class, stayed exclusively in seven-star hotels, and moved through airports wearing tailor-made tuxedos.
Investigators discovered that Sharma maintained an impressive collection of luxury items including imported sunglasses worth Rs 2 lakh each, a rotating selection of Swiss watches, platinum bracelets valued up to Rs 5 lakh, luxury perfumes, and designer shoes and loafers. His extravagant spending extended to personal relationships, where he reportedly gifted items worth Rs 5-10 lakh to multiple girlfriends and hosted lavish parties in high-end apartments across Delhi, Bengaluru, Goa, Kathmandu, and Dubai.
The Sophisticated NEET Fraud Network
Sharma's journey into criminal enterprise began after he initially worked at a Delhi-based firm handling college admissions. Within a year, he identified loopholes in India's admission ecosystem and by 2012, he founded his own consultancy that would eventually become the centerpiece of his fraudulent operations.
The gang specifically targeted families of NEET aspirants, promising management-quota seats in medical colleges located in Barabanki, Sitapur, and Bihar. Payments ranging from Rs 18-45 lakh were collected through various methods including cash, demand drafts, and online transfers into current accounts that were fraudulently opened in the name of the Hind Institute of Medical Sciences.
Sharma operated a complex network complete with coaching fronts, proxy candidates, and a layered chain of middlemen that made his operation one of the country's most sophisticated exam-rigging syndicates. To bolster his credibility, he even invited Bollywood stars to his events, successfully portraying himself as a high-profile education entrepreneur.
Prison Operations and Multiple Identities
Investigators uncovered that Sharma's criminal activities continued even during an earlier jail stint, where he befriended inmate Santosh Kumar and managed to operate his racket from inside prison. In a dramatic turn of events, Sharma later escaped police custody by jumping off a train, demonstrating his determination to continue his illegal operations.
The sophisticated fraudster used at least five different identities to facilitate his international travel, open bank accounts, and rent properties across multiple locations. This complex web of deception allowed him to maintain his globe-trotting lifestyle while simultaneously running his extensive criminal network.
The racket was finally busted after multiple victims came forward and lodged complaints at the Lucknow cybercrime police station. Formal FIRs were filed under BNS sections and IT Act 66D, leading to the arrest of Sharma and his associate Santosh near Kathauta lake on Wednesday.
Currently, investigators are focusing their efforts on recovering the crores of rupees Sharma splurged worldwide and mapping the complete extent of his sophisticated network that managed to evade detection for years while operating across six Indian states and multiple international destinations.
