Bihar Education Counselor Nabbed At Kolkata Airport For Fraudulent College Admission Scam
The Crime Branch of Pune Police successfully apprehended a Bihar-based education counselor on Thursday for orchestrating an elaborate online admission fraud scheme. The suspect had been impersonating a prestigious Pune educational institution through unauthorized use of their official branding materials.
Kunal Kumar, the primary accused in the case, was detained at Kolkata airport alongside his spouse as they attempted to board an international flight to Thailand. Law enforcement had previously issued a lookout circular to prevent his departure from the country, and acting on intelligence inputs, authorities intercepted the couple before their planned escape. Senior Inspector Ulhas Kadam from the Anti-Narcotics Cell confirmed that Kumar was subsequently transported to Pune for comprehensive questioning and legal proceedings.
Investigation findings revealed that Kumar had established a sophisticated online operation designed to exploit prospective students. He created fraudulent advertisements promising guaranteed admissions to various academic programs in exchange for monetary payments. The scheme involved unauthorized replication of legitimate institutional identities, including official logos, website designs, and promotional imagery.
The fraudulent activity was exposed when the targeted educational institute discovered the misuse of their institutional credentials and branding. This discovery prompted them to file formal cheating charges against Kumar and two additional co-conspirators at Deccan Gymkhana Police Station in April 2024.
Following the initial complaint, police teams conducted extensive search operations across multiple states including Maharashtra, Haryana, and Delhi in their efforts to locate the suspects. Kumar managed to evade capture for an extended period by continuously relocating across state boundaries.
Further investigation uncovered Kumar's involvement in a separate cybercrime case filed with Pune Cyber Crime Police in 2021. Despite his anticipatory bail application being denied by the sessions court, he had failed to surrender to authorities, adding to his list of legal violations.
The arrest highlights the growing concern over education-related fraud schemes that target vulnerable students and their families seeking legitimate admission opportunities.
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