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Updated: May 20, 2019 10:43 IST

A Sonepat-based couple has been booked by the Kurukshetra police for allegedly duping over 280 students through a bogus institute.

The couple, identified as Kuldeep Singh and his wife Mamta, had allegedly opened a sports academy at a private school in Kurukshetra’s Durala village and duped several students from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal on the pretext of helping them secure admission at the Sports Authority of India’s Sonepat centre.

As per the parents of the aggrieved students, who had filed a complaint with the Kurukshetra police in December last year, the couple had opened Sai Sports Complex in Bharat International School in Dhurala village of Kurukshetra in April, 2018, and circulated pamphlets in newspapers in a bid to attract students for admission.

They also charged Rs 20,000-30,000 per student for admission and told them that they would be given free coaching and a monthly stipend of Rs 11,000 per student from the government. They also provided identity cards to the enrolled students. But in December last year, they suddenly shut the academy and fled.

The matter came to light when Raman Chaudhary, who was running a mess in the academy of the accused, approached the Kurukshetra district court alleging police inaction against the accused, who did not clear his pending dues of Rs 8.90 lakh.

Raman’s advocate Rajender Singh told Hindustan Times that they had filed an application in the Kurukshetra district court and now the court has directed the police to register an FIR against the accused. He said they had also taken up the matter with Kurukshetra SP Astha Modi and she assured an arrest soon.

Rajender said they have also met several students and many of them alleged they were running from pillar to post to get their money back but the police did not take their complaints seriously.

On the court orders, police have registered an FIR under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.

When contacted, Jhansa police station in-charge Raj Pal said they have registered an FIR on the directions of the court and about 15 students have also filed a complaint against the couple. “Their mobile phones seem to be switched off but we have information about them and they will soon be arrested,” he added.