Pune police arrests Bihar education counsellor for fake admission advertisement

Crime Branch of Pune Police on Thursday arrested an education counsellor from Bihar for publishing a fake online admission advertisement the name, website, logo and image of a reputed Pune-based educational institute.

According to the police, they had issued a look-out notice against Kunal Kumar, the accused, to prevent him from leaving the country. He and his wife were intercepted at Kolkata airport on the basis of a tip-off, while they were preparing to board a flight to Thailand.

According to senior inspector Ulhas Kadam of the Anti-Narcotics Cell, he was detained and brought to Pune for further investigation.

Police investigations revealed that Kunal kumar had posted misleading advertisements online, luring students with false promises of securing admission to various courses in exchange for money. The fraud came to light when the affected institute noticed the unauthorized use of its identity and registered a case of cheating against Kumar and two of his accomplices at Deccan Gymkhana Police Station on April 2, 2024.

As investigations proceeded, a police team carried out searches across Maharashtra, Haryana and Delhi to trace the accused. However, he evaded arrest by frequently changing locations.

Further inquiries revealed that Kunal kumar is also wanted in a cyber fraud case registered with Pune Cyber Crime Police in 2021. His anticipatory bail had been rejected by the sessions court, but he failed to surrender.