A complaint involving alleged fake admissions and expense claims at a Ludhiana university has exposed the risks institutions face when recruitment targets are not matched by verification controls.
The case began in July 2024 when an individual claimed he could secure around 1,000 admissions from West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand. He was later appointed assistant director of outreach with a reported monthly salary demand of Rs 95,000, while another person was appointed state head in Jharkhand at Rs 50,000 a month.
The complaint alleges that money was transferred for an office in Raniganj, including rent and security, and that around Rs 1.40 lakh was spent on office arrangements. Further sums were paid for a laptop, two mobile phones, publicity and education fairs. After the employee was removed, equipment was allegedly not returned and repayment cheques failed.
When pressure for admissions increased, the complaint says data was collected and admissions were shown on paper. The university later contacted students on the lists; some reportedly said they had never applied. The alleged salary and expense amounts were reported at Rs 7,67,037 for one accused and Rs 3,90,066 for the other.
These are allegations in a complaint and must be tested through investigation and court process. The institutional lesson is clear: admissions data, agent claims, expenses and student consent require independent checks before they are treated as performance.