Bhubaneswar, Oct. 11: A man with an engineering degree was arrested today for allegedly cheating MBBS aspirants of around Rs 50 lakh.

Sourav Routray, 27, promised them admission to a city-based private medical college under management quota.

Routray duped two MBBS aspirants from Mayurbhanj district. He had taken Rs 25 lakh each from Lachhman Mohanty and Rama Krushna Mishra eight months ago after promising them admission in the current academic session.

"The accused ensured admission for both of them in medical courses in management quota. He had collected an advance of Rs 25 lakh from each of the aspirants," said a police official.

The fraud came to light when both the aspirants enquired about their admission in the city-based private medical college a few months ago and came to know that the session had already started.

"When they tried to contact Sourav, he demanded Rs 10 lakh more from each for admission. Both the victims called him to collect the money demanded by him and subsequently he was arrested," said a police official.

The accused had also issued the victims a fake letter, which clearly stated that two seats had been reserved for them. The police said the victims came in contact with Sourav through a student studying at the college.

"Sourav was arrested under Sections 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code," said Sarat Chandra Sahu, the inspector of Khandagiri police station.