Mumbai: After 5 months, woman arrested in ‘education abroad’ fraud case

Mumbai: Charkop police arrested a woman, Shraddha Vitthal Gadekar, who was wanted since five months after she fled, in connection with a fraud case involving a Kandivli-based firm.The firm cheated students on the pretext of facilitating higher education abroad. The firm's owner, Stella Rakesh Mehta, and her husband, Rakesh Mehta, were named co-accused. Police said multiple fraud cases were also registered against the couple in Mumbai and Thane, and they allegedly duped several students of lakhs of rupees. The arrest was made following the complaint filed by Dr Nehal Joshi (52), a Kandivli resident, sought overseas education for his daughter. In Oct 2023, Joshi's daughter and her friend met Stella, Rakesh and Gadekar, who assured them of admission and explained the process and fees, claiming they would transfer the amount to the university. Joshi transferred Rs 10 lakh on Aug 1, 2024, and Rs 11,000 the next day to the company's account. However, the university later informed his daughter that no fees had been received.