Kolkata, July 8 (UNI) The anti-corruption wing of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has confiscated Fixed Deposit (FD) certificates valued at Rs 6.42 crore of a private medical college in West Bengal in relation to cash-for-admission in the MBBS/MD/MS under the NRI (Non-Resident Indian) quota, official sources said.
The ED conducted search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in the matter of admission of ineligible candidates under the NRI quota in MBBS/MD/MS courses in private medical colleges in West Bengal and Odisha.
"Searches were conducted at various private medical colleges in West Bengal and Odisha. Incriminating evidence has been seized, and statements have been recorded of a few persons," the ED said.
The Supreme Court has set guidelines on the eligibility criteria for the sponsors of candidates under NRI category.
The ED investigation revealed that the college management in collusion with the agents indulged in creation of fake documents such as embassy documents of NRIs, fake family tree and other documents needed for the admission in medical colleges.
The ED found that these private medical colleges were paying the agents for preparing fake documents. The agents had also approached and obtained credentials of unrelated NRIs by paying money and used these credentials for preparing fake documents and projected these unrelated NRIs as sponsors for students.
In some cases, the agents and medical colleges used the same set of NRI sponsor documents for 2-3 different and unrelated candidates. This was been done to show the compliance of guidelines laid down by the top court and to secure the admissions for ineligible candidates under NRI quota against huge commissions.
Despite information of forgery in cases of certain NRI sponsors provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, no action has been taken by state authorities, the ED said.
Further, during ED investigation, various Indian consulates/embassies in foreign countries have informed the government that NRI certificates of sponsor in many cases, which were used to secure admissions in private medical institutions under NRI quota, are not genuine.
Previously ED had attached properties worth Rs12.33 crore of various private medical colleges and individuals. The ED, however, did not name the medical colleges for further investigation purposes.
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