Real-life ‘Hindi Medium’: Man poses as slum-dweller to get son seat at Delhi school

In a scene straight out of the comedy-drama film 'Hindi Medium', starring Pakistani actress Saba Qamar and Indian actor Irrfan Khan, a businessman in Delhi posed as a slum-dweller in an attempt to get his son admitted into a private school.



Gaurav Goel’s first attempt at misrepresenting his economic status was successful in 2013 when his elder son was admitted to the prominent English-medium Sanskriti School in Chanakyapuri under the economically weaker section category quota, The Times of India reported.

He was not so lucky the second time when he tried faking his financial condition again to have his second son admitted at the same school this year.

Goel was arrested on Saturday after the school administration suspected his foul play and complained to Delhi Police. The police investigation discovered Goel had lied to the school on both occasions to avail the quota.

Hindi Medium film poster with Saba Qamar and Irrfan Khan. PHOTO: YOUTUBE

In the movie, Saba Qamar (Mita) and Irrfan Khan (Raj) want to get their daughter Pia educated from a top school in Delhi by taking advantage of the quota system.



Goel’s life imitated art when he wrote his address as Sanjay Camp, a slum near Chanakyapuri, for his elder son’s admission, showed his annual income as Indian Rs67,000 by allegedly forging his income tax documents and faked his voter cards and birth certificates. He also told the school he was working at an MRI centre.

According to the TOI report, his perfect plot never gave away his real identity despite his interaction with the school over the years. The fraud only began to unravel when Goel pushed to have his second son admitted under the sibling quota.

When trying to verify the background for his elder son, the school administration uncovered major discrepancies and called the police.  A complaint was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.

“The school became suspicious when Goel told them they could shift his elder son from the ‘Economically Weaker Section’ (EWS) to the general category because his economic condition had improved over the years,” a police official told the Indian daily.

“When Goel mentioned an apartment in the Safdarjung Enclave as his residence, the school’s suspicion was strengthened,” he added.  Safdarjung Enclave locality caters to people who want to live in gated communities and high-end apartments.

The Delhi Police checked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and income tax (IT) records, which established Goel was earning a hefty amount from his wholesale business selling pulses and from the MRI centre, which he owns.

Some Indian government departments are now under the scanner as Delhi Police believe they may have helped Goel obtain the forged documents. Even the address he gave the school as proof for his second child’s admission was found to be fake.



Goel was arrested from his home in Jawahar Nagar, near Kamla Nagar in north Delhi. DCP Madhur Verma of Delhi Police said, “they were trying to find out who had helped Goel forge the documents.”

The school authorities informed Delhi Police they have expelled Goel’s elder child.

This article first appeared on The Times of India.