Jharsuguda: In a significant breakthrough, Jharsuguda police have uncovered a major interstate education fraud racket that allegedly duped hundreds of students across Odisha.
Operating under the name One World Academy, the racket lured students with false promises of guaranteed admission into BEd colleges in Andhra Pradesh and duped them of lakhs of rupees.
Police have arrested two accused, identified as Chittaranjan Barik and Rima Das, and forwarded them to court.
As per the investigation, the accused had been running the fraudulent operation for nearly five years from a rented house in Basant Vihar near Jyoti Vihar, Burla.
They primarily targeted students by claiming they could secure easy admissions in reputed institutions such as Seven Hills BEd College and Ramakrishna BEd College in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
However, instead of facilitating genuine admissions, the accused allegedly issued fake admission letters and certificates after collecting money from unsuspecting students.
They also misled candidates by falsely claiming that Bed, a regular course, could be pursued through distance mode. Moreover, the scam was not limited to BEd programmes.
The network is suspected of issuing fake certificates for courses like MEd, BA, and BSc, amassing crores of rupees in the process.
To avoid suspicion, the accused mainly targeted students from districts in western Odisha.
The fraud came to light after two students from Brajarajnagar filed a complaint at the cyber police station in Jharsuguda, prompting a detailed investigation.
Police are also probing the role of the owner of the house where the academy was operating.
Preliminary findings suggest the building may have been constructed on encroached government land.
Authorities have intensified efforts to track down other members of the network, with raids underway at multiple locations.
Police have urged students and parents to verify the credentials of educational institutions before taking admission, specifically checking for recognition from the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) and proper university affiliation.
They have also appealed to anyone who may have fallen victim to such fraud to report the matter to the police immediately.
