Bengaluru: 'Central govt employee' promises 2 MBBS seats from career helpline, extorts Rs 55L

Police have arrested a 50-year-old man accused of promising two MBBS seats and extorting Rs 55.25 lakh from the head of an education helpline.

The suspect, Syed Younus, of Vidyaranyapura, allegedly claimed to have strong connections in the Medical Education Department and with union ministers. He convinced Lokanayaki, 42, who runs an education helpline in Yelahanka, that he could secure MBBS seats in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Karnataka for a fee. ranging from Rs 18 lakh to Rs 76 lakh.

Trusting his promises, Lokanayaki arranged for two of her clients to pay Rs 55.25 lakh to Younus between October and November last year. However, when Younus demanded more money, the clients refused to take the seats and asked for a refund. Lokanayaki said she had to take hand loans to return the money. But she couldn’t get the full amount back from Younus, who returned only Rs 15.8 lakh.

Struggling to repay her clients, Lokanayaki filed a complaint on July 18. Police arrested Younus for questioning. He mentioned that he was slowly repaying her and needed more time while currently undergoing treatment for cancer.