The Kerala Crime Branch has arrested Prashant Agarwal, the prime accused in a large-scale medical seat fraud that deceived students and parents across the country. Agarwal, a native of Hathras in Uttar Pradesh, was nabbed in a high-risk operation carried out by a Crime Branch team in Uttar Pradesh.
Acting under the directives of ADGP (Crime Branch) H. Venkitesh, a special investigation team led by DSP K. Sajeev and supervised by Crime Branch Thiruvananthapuram SP Sudarshan tracked down Agarwal, who had been evading arrest for nearly five years.
According to investigators, Agarwal operated an elaborate scam using online and social media advertisements from Delhi and Noida, offering guaranteed medical seats in reputed institutions across India. He collected large sums of money from unsuspecting students and parents by promising them admissions in top colleges.
The case dates back to 2020, when a resident of Parashuvakkal was cheated after Agarwal promised a seat at D. Y. Patil Medical College, Mumbai. The victim paid Rs20 lakh through direct payment and bank transfers. To appear credible, Agarwal even handed over a fake admission letter right inside the college premises.
Initially registered by the Neyyattinkara police, the case was later transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation. Agarwal was produced before the Neyyattinkara JFCM-1 Court, which remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.
