Gujarat BJP leader duped of 55 lakh on promise of medical college seat for son

A cheating investigation has been launched in Vadodara, Gujarat, following a BJP leader's allegation that five individuals swindled him of Rs 55 lakh. The leader, Mukesh Dixit, claimed the fraudsters promised his son a management quota seat in a private medical college, but the deal ultimately fell through. Dixit, a former municipal corporator and a media leader for the city's BJP, said his son, Shivang, ranked poorly in the NEET exam and could not secure admission through the merit list.

The scam allegedly began in April 2019 when Dixit came across an advertisement offering medical college admission assistance. He contacted Ajiteshkumar Sarangi, who assured him the admission could be secured through the management quota. Dixit says he was promised a seat in a private college in Karnataka, Maharashtra, or Rajasthan for around Rs 60 lakh.

He chose Maharashtra and Rajasthan, as Karnataka was not preferred. Dixit says he initially paid three cheques totaling Rs 60 lakh, with Rs 15 lakh deposited into an entity called Orbital Career. However, no further payments were made, and the cheques bounced when the accused claimed there were no seats available. Dixit says they were then asked to pay Rs 40 lakh in cash, which he provided.

The accused showed Dixit letters claiming the admission process was underway, but when he asked for a refund, the cheques bounced again. Sarangi, his wife, Chandresh Yagnik, and two others from Delhi were booked in the case after a seven-year-long harassment. Dixit's son pursued a career in physiotherapy, while his daughter is currently studying at a government medical college in Ahmedabad.