NEET: Do not pay cash for admission; fraud surfaced October 10, 2026

In short

Suman Katiyar of Lucknow lost ₹36.89 lakh in a fake NEET admission scam for a medical seat at BMCRI.
Fraudsters, identified as Vijay, Abhishek, and Tarun Kumar, contacted the family via an Instagram ad seen on October 1, 2026.
A fake admission letter was sent on October 7, 2026, and ₹10 lakh in cash was collected on October 9, 2026.
The fraud was discovered on October 10, 2026, when college authorities in Bengaluru confirmed the documents were forged.
An FIR has been lodged at Gomti Nagar Extension police station, and an investigation is currently underway.

Suman Katiyar, a resident of Greenwood Apartments in Lucknow, has reported being cheated of ₹36.89 lakh by individuals who falsely promised to secure her daughter’s admission to Bengaluru Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) through the NEET admission process. The incident, which unfolded between October 1 and October 10, 2026, led to the family discovering the deception upon visiting the college in Bengaluru.

This case adds to a series of NEET-related admission scams reported across India, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in the medical college admission landscape, often exploiting the demand for limited seats and the complexities of the examination and counselling process.

Modus Operandi of the Fraudsters

The fraudsters initiated contact with Suman Katiyar’s family after her daughter saw an Instagram advertisement titled ‘Doctor Admission Desk’ on October 1, 2026. After that, three men identified as Vijay Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, and Tarun Kumar, communicated with the family via WhatsApp. They presented themselves as admission consultants, claiming to possess getting to arrange medical seats through donation or institute-level quotas.

Initially, the accused demanded ₹30 lakh for admission, which was later increased to ₹45 lakh. To build trust, they provided fake emails, fee receipts, and other documents bearing the name of BMCRI. On October 7, 2026, a fake admission allotment letter and fee receipt were sent to the family, instructing the student to report to the college on October 10, 2026.

Financial Transactions and Discovery of the Scam

The fraudsters first obtained a booking amount of ₹3 lakh. They then claimed that the college’s online payment gateway was non-functional and persuaded Suman Katiyar to arrange ₹10 lakh in cash. On October 9, 2026, a man identifying himself as Krishna Kumar visited the family’s residence in Lucknow and collected the ₹10 lakh in cash. Also, Suman Katiyar transferred ₹26.89 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the accused, bringing the total loss to ₹36.89 lakh.

The fraud came to light on October 10, 2026, when Katiyar and her daughter travelled to Bengaluru to report to BMCRI. Upon inquiry, college authorities informed them that all the documents provided by the fraudsters were forged. Following this discovery, an FIR was lodged at the Gomti Nagar Extension police station in Lucknow. Inspector Gaurav Bajpai confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is currently underway.

Broader Context of NEET-Related Scams

This incident is part of a recurring pattern of scams targeting medical aspirants and their families. In a separate incident on June 14, 2025, the CBI arrested Sandeep Shah and Salim Patel for allegedly taking money from medical aspirants by promising admission and manipulating NEET UG 2025 scores. Shah reportedly received ₹87.5 lakh from parents for increasing NEET UG 2025 marks, while Patel allegedly accepted ₹32 lakh in cash from one candidate and ₹75 lakh through hawala channels from three others.

Earlier, on January 23, 2025, five individuals were booked in Nagpur for duping two girls of ₹75.75 lakh by promising MBBS admission through a management quota at Sri Lakshmi Narayan Institute of Medical Science, Pondicherry. The NEET UG 2026 exam itself was cancelled due to a paper leak, leading to a re-exam on June 21, 2026. This cancellation was exploited by a gang busted by the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch, who collected millions from over 1000 students and parents by promising papers for the re-exam, despite police stating no real paper was leaked. These incidents underscore the persistent challenges in ensuring the integrity of the NEET admission process and protecting aspirants from fraudulent schemes.