JEE Coaching Scam: FIITJEE Chairman Goel, Staff Accused of Cheating 31 Parents in Pune, FIR Registered
Swargate, 31st May 2025: A retired Indian Navy official has accused the director and staff of a reputed coaching institute of cheating him and other parents out of over ₹42 lakh after the institute abruptly shut down its Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) coaching facility in Pune last year without issuing refunds.
The 48-year-old complainant from Kondhwa, who enrolled his child at the FIITJEE centre operating from Vega Centre in Swargate, said the management collected fees between June 21 and July 2, 2024, before abruptly discontinuing classes. The sudden shutdown and lack of communication triggered panic among parents, who had invested significant sums in hopes of securing a better academic future for their children.
Initially, the matter was reported to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Pune Police. Following a preliminary verification, the Swargate police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Thursday night against FIITJEE’s Chairman Dinesh Kumar Goel, along with COO Manish Anand, CFO Rajeev Babbar, and Pune centre head Rajeshkumar Karn.
“Parents paid varied amounts as fees for their children’s JEE preparation. However, the institute abruptly shut its Pune centre on July 2, 2024, without issuing timely refunds,” said Senior Inspector Yuvraj Nandre of Swargate Police Station.
According to the complaint, the coaching centre’s management later held a virtual meeting, informing parents about the closure and offering three alternatives: switch to online classes from Delhi, travel to Delhi for in-person coaching, or request a refund by email.
“While some parents reportedly received partial or full refunds, many—including the complainant—never got any money back,” Inspector Nandre added.
Frustrated by repeated attempts to reach the centre’s management, the complainant and others sent multiple emails requesting reimbursement. When those efforts yielded no results, they approached the EOW seeking legal action.
The FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and breach of trust. Police have begun tracking down the individuals named in the complaint.
“Currently, the accused are untraceable, but our team is following leads to locate and question them,” Inspector Nandre confirmed.
