Fake nursing institute busted in Gujarat, students duped out of lakhs in fees

Gujarat Police has busted a fake nurse training institute in Narmada district after it allegedly charged hefty fees from students under the pretext of offering a three-year nursing program but failed to conduct exams or provide certificates, officials said on Saturday.
Dr Anil Gohil, the owner of Maa Kamal Foundation was also arrested during the police crackdown.
According to police, the institute promised to give students certificates after providing them with nursing training after Class 12. When the students were not given certificates after three years, the students lodged a complaint with the police.
One of the students told the police that in the year 2021, when she was about to appear for Class 12 examinations, officials from Maa Kamal Foundation visited her school and distributed pamphlets about nursing courses.
The students were told that the institute was offering a three-year nursing course for which Rs 1.65 lakh would be charged as fees. After that, a nursing certificate will be given and, on the basis of that, a job will also be available at a private hospital.
When the Class 12 results were announced, several students took admission to the Maa Kamal Foundation.
After the full payment of fees, the students were admitted to undergo general nursing and midwifery courses and, after the completion of a three-year curriculum, they were assured to be given certificates.
Following the admission, the students were given nursing lessons and training for six months and were then sent to different hospitals in Surat for professional training, where they were also paid Rs 3,000 per month as a stipend.
Problems began when students were not allowed to sit for the examinations.
In 2022, the institute claimed the exams would take place in Bangalore but later informed students their hall tickets were unavailable. The same excuse was repeated in 2023. This year, students were sent to Bangalore once again but were only made to appear for partial exams, with no practical tests conducted.
When pressed for certificates, the foundation failed to provide answers, leading the frustrated students to file a police complaint against Dr Gohil and others.
The students alleged that the institute could not even complete the three-year course but charged them full fees.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the institute operated without proper affiliation or credentials. Students alleged they were duped into believing the institute was associated with a college in Bangalore.
“The District Superintendent of Police has formed an SIT to probe the case and the students have been questioned. Statements of over 77 students have been recorded. A fraud case has been registered against Dr Anil Gohil under Section 318 (4) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS),” Narmada Deputy SP Sanjay Sharma said.
Police are further investigating the case and trying to ascertain if more students have fallen victim to such frauds or more such fake institutes are running in the state.