New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Delhi Police has busted a fake online Ph.D admission racket and arrested two people for allegedly duping aspiring students, officials said on Saturday.
According to police, The scam was orchestrated by Javed Khan, a foreign-educated computer engineer, who along with his associate Shahrukh Ali, defrauded at least 15 people by falsely promising Ph.D admissions.
The case came to light after a complainant seeking a Ph.D in Management contacted a number listed on a website.
She contacted Javed, who convinced her to transfer Rs 1.80 lakh as an admission fee. When he demanded more money without providing any formal receipt, she grew suspicious, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) M Harsha Vardhan said.
The complainant then approached the Cyber Police Station in the central district, leading to the registration of an FIR, the officer said.
A police team conducted a detailed probe, analyzing bank transactions, call records, and website registration details. The team found that the cheated money had been transferred to bank accounts registered under the names of Javed and Shahrukh, he said.
The accused had discarded their mobile phones to evade tracking, but technical surveillance led police to their locations in Saharanpur and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. Javed Khan was apprehended from a de-addiction centre in Noida, officials said.
Javed (30), a foreign-educated computer science graduate, previously worked with a company assisting students with Ph.D admissions, a police statement said.
Using his experience, he launched his own website, claiming to provide legitimate Ph.D admissions. He attempted to tie up with various universities and obtained a Channel Partner letter from a university in Saharanpur, the statement read.
However, the university has been embroiled in a backdated degree scam and has remained non-operational since July 2021, according to Javed’s own confession. He allegedly sent photoshopped university ID cards and honorary doctorate degrees to multiple victims to make his fraud appear genuine.
His accomplice, Shahrukh (29), played an active role in processing the fake admissions and shared the financial gains. During raids, police recovered incriminating chats and fake university payment receipts from his residence.
Further investigation is underway, officials added. PTI BM OZ OZ
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