Karad doctor couple allege Rs 1.15 crore fraud by men posing as CBI officers; case registered

A serious case of alleged cheating and extortion has come to light in Umbraj and Karad. It is alleged that a doctor couple were induced to part with lakhs of rupees on the promise of admission to a medical postgraduate course. They were then allegedly extorted by being told their names had come up in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, and crores more were demanded. According to the complaint, the couple were cheated of Rs 1.15 crore in all, and a further Rs 1.35 crore was demanded.

A case was registered at Karad City police station at 9.38 pm on October 16, 2026, on the complaint of Dr Vaishali Ajit Thorat. The FIR names Pushkar Subhash Kulkarni of Karad, Aniket Sadashiv Chavan of Wadgaon (Umbraj) and two unidentified people. The complaint says all this happened between April and October 2026.

According to the complaint, Pushkar Kulkarni, who runs private tuition in Karad, came into contact with the doctor couple. He knew their son had completed his MBBS and was preparing for the PG medical entrance. It is alleged that he won the couple's trust by saying he could arrange admission through the management quota.

The complaint states that on April 13, 2026, Rs 35 lakh in cash was handed over at a meeting between the Karad tehsil office and Kavanaka Road. A notarised receipt was made, with September 25, 2026 written as the date of return. It is alleged that Rs 15 lakh more was taken in July, against which a cheque was given. In all, Rs 50 lakh was allegedly taken in the name of admission.

The matter then took a new turn. According to the complaint, the couple were told that an investigation into the NEET-PG paper scam was under way, that their names had come up in it, that their phone conversations had been recorded and that they could be arrested. On August 19 they were called to the Tasawade toll plaza area and then met near Vahagaon. There, the alleged accused said the CBI was demanding Rs 10 crore to settle the matter. When the couple said they could not pay that sum, it is alleged that a proposal to settle it for Rs 2 crore was made.

According to the complaint, the couple, out of fear, broke their credit society deposits and sold gold jewellery to raise about Rs 65 lakh. They met on the night of August 20 in the Ambegaon area of Pune. After a while a white four-wheeler arrived. It is alleged that the people in it claimed to be CBI officers, threatened the couple and had the bag of money put in the vehicle.

The complaint says the couple were then shaken and, instead of going straight to the police, stayed with a relative in Pune. The Rs 65 lakh together with the Rs 50 lakh given for admission makes a total of Rs 1.15 crore.

It is alleged that on the morning of October 3, an unknown person came to the doctor's gate. He described himself as an official connected with the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences and asked them to bring more money to Satara. According to the complaint, Rs 1.35 crore was then demanded by the alleged accused, with a threat of harm if the money was not paid.

After getting full details with the help of the relative, the couple decided to approach the police. The complaint mentions an application given on October 9. On October 11 the police summoned the people concerned and questioned them. The complainant claims Pushkar Kulkarni then admitted taking Rs 50 lakh and said admission through the management quota could not be arranged. According to the complaint, he also said the Rs 65 lakh taken in Pune by the person who came posing as a CBI officer was taken with the help of Aniket Chavan.

The complaint also says the couple did not file a case immediately because they were assured the money would be returned by October 14. But it is alleged that at a meeting at Hotel Alankar in Karad on October 15, they were threatened with being jailed if they complained. The couple then decided to file a police case.

The case has been registered at Karad City police station under Sections 3(5), 308(2), 308(3), 308(6), 308(7), 318(2), 318(4), 319(2), 336(3) and 338 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. According to the FIR, the investigation has been entrusted to Police Inspector Nikhil Shripati Magdum.

The vehicles allegedly used, the money transactions, the cheque, the notary papers, mobile conversation records and CCTV footage from the house could be important for the investigation. There is talk in the area that if an educated doctor family can fall into such a trap, what would happen to the common man. It is also being said that police should investigate strictly so that the suspected accused are duly punished. Aniket Chavan has a past record at Umbraj police station, and there is varied talk about which political leader saved him from the verge of being externed from the district.