The probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) has busted a racket that used fake documents to secure students' admission through Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota to medical colleges.
The investigation, assisted by the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian embassies, revealed that private medical colleges offered about 18,000 admissions in the MBBS course to students who used fake documents.
During the probe, it was found that these colleges paid the agents for preparing fake documents, like embassy documents of NRIs and fake family trees.
In most cases, the agents and medical colleges used the same set of documents for multiple candidates.
Some genuine NRI candidates were also involved in the racket, who were paid money by agents so that their names could be used.
During raids on these colleges, the ED recovered several fake NRI certificates and stamps of notary officers working in the US.
According to the rules, the fees of the students taking admission through the NRI quota have to be paid by an NRI relative. However, ED's investigation found that the fees in most cases were not paid by the NRI family members.
The probe agency last month had said that authorities in West Bengal and Odisha did not take any action against admission of ineligible candidates in certain private medical colleges under the NRI quota despite the MEA providing "categorical" information of "forgery".
It said it had seized "incriminating" evidence during searches in this case in the past.
A fixed deposit worth Rs 6.42 crore of a private college in West Bengal was provisionally attached, the ED said. It had earlier attached assets worth Rs 12.33 crore of some colleges and individuals involved in these alleged irregularities.
"Despite categorical information of forgery in cases of certain NRI sponsors provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, no action has been taken by concerned state authorities," the probe agency said.
Various Indian consulates/embassies in foreign countries have informed that NRI certificates of sponsor in many cases, which were used to secure admissions in these private medical colleges under the NRI quota, were "not genuine", it had said.
