Enforcement Directorate Raids In 15 Locations Across 10 States In Medical College Scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday raided more than 15 locations across 10 states, targeting what investigators say is one of India's largest medical college bribery and accreditation scams. Teams fanned out across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, acting on a CBI First Information Report (FIR) that has already exposed a deep, nationwide nexus of inspectors, brokers, college promoters, doctors and even a self-styled godman.

ED officers from Delhi landed in Raipur at dawn and immediately began questioning Atul Kumar Tiwari, Director of Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Medical College (SRIMSR), at his home. Simultaneously, searches continued inside the medical college campus, where investigators are examining financial transactions suspected to be linked to bribes paid for favourable inspection reports. Tiwari, arrested earlier by the CBI and now out on bail, is believed to be a key link in the racket.

The agency also raided Index Medical College in Indore, sealing the accounts section and seizing digital evidence. Sources say the Indore investigation opened a Pandora's box, revealing how ghost faculty, forged attendance, and fake experience certificates were deployed to fool inspectors.

According to the CBI, the scandal first came to light when members of the National Medical Commission (NMC) inspection team accepted a Rs 55 lakh hawala bribe to prepare a favourable report for SRIMSR in Raipur. The doctors were caught red-handed Rs 38.38 lakh recovered from an aide of the inspection head and another Rs 16.62 lakh from an official's residence.

But what appeared to be an isolated bribe-for-report case soon exploded into a pan-India conspiracy, linking powerful players from Rajasthan to Visakhapatnam and from Gurugram to Indore.

Investigators uncovered that confidential inspection files meant to remain strictly classified were being photographed inside NMC offices in Delhi and sent via WhatsApp to college agents. This allowed institutions to clean up shortcomings, fabricate documentation, or arrange dummy patients and faculty ahead of inspections.

Among those allegedly receiving these secret files were Virendra Kumar of Gurgaon, Manisha Joshi of Dwarka, and the Registrar of Geetanjali University in Udaipur, Mayur Raval.

One of the most sensational names to emerge is Rawatpura Sarkar, also known as Ravishankar Maharaj, a controversial godman long accused of wielding political influence. His trust, investigators say, allegedly collaborated with medical college promoters to secure NMC accreditation in exchange for huge sums routed through hawala networks.

Rawatpura Sarkar's inclusion in the FIR has sparked a political storm. The baba was photographed frequently with ministers, IAS and IPS officers.

The second major arm of the scam flourished inside Index Medical College in Indore, run by Suresh Bhadoria. Officials allegedly produced dummy faculty, manipulated biometric records, and hired fake patients to pass inspections.

Both Bhadoria and Rawatpura Sarkar are from Lahar in Bhind, a link that investigators now believe helped form a powerful, informal network capable of influencing medical recognition across the country. Colleges reportedly paid Rs 3-5 crore each to secure approvals irrespective of infrastructure or teaching standards.

Investigators now believe that over 40 medical colleges may have obtained approval or increased MBBS/PG seats using bribery, falsified records, and compromised inspections. Many of these institutions are under the ED's scanner after today's raids.

Five months ago, the CBI had raided 40 locations across the country, seizing documents that hinted at a massive, coordinated operation. Today's ED action is described as the biggest financial follow-up in the case so far.

Sources confirm that more raids, arrests, and high-profile interrogations are expected in the coming days as the ED begins to unravel the financial backbone of this nationwide corruption syndicate.