JAMMU, Mar 17: A major fraud involving lakhs of rupees has surfaced in Jammu, where several parents were allegedly cheated on the pretext of securing admissions for their children in professional courses such as MBBS and B.Tech.
It said that the Cyber Police Station Jammu has registered a case against Vidya 360 Educational Services, a Mohali-based consultancy, and started an investigation.
It said that the accused consultancy firm owners and staff members allegedly targeted parents of students who had qualified NEET and JEE examinations in 2025, promising admissions in reputed medical and engineering colleges across the country.
The company allegedly collected huge amounts in the name of counseling and admission fees and later issued fake allotment letters. The fraud came to light when parents verified the allotment letters with the concerned colleges and found them to be fake, police sources said.
They said four students from Jammu were cheated, with the accused charging around Rs 10 lakh each for MBBS admissions and Rs 5 to 6 lakh for engineering courses.
The victims, according to the police sources, alleged that after receiving the money, the accused stopped responding to calls and failed to return the amount.
Taking cognizance of the fraud, Cyber Police Station Jammu has registered a case FIR No. 4/2026 under sections 66-DIT Act and 318(4) BNS against Pankaj Shah, Founder Director, Prasun Banerjee, Co-founder, and two female associates.
Further investigation has been set into motion to investigate the role of some local associates in Jammu.
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