In a significant nationwide crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out coordinated searches at 15 locations across ten Indian states on Thursday. The raids are part of an ongoing money laundering investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving officials from the National Medical Commission (NMC) and promoters of private medical colleges.
Widespread Raids and Core Allegations
The federal agency targeted premises in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. The probe stems from a First Information Report (FIR) previously registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
According to the CBI, it was alleged that bribes were paid to government officials, including those from the NMC. The illicit payments were made in exchange for disclosing confidential information related to the inspection schedules and processes of medical colleges. This sensitive data was allegedly shared with key managerial persons of the private colleges and middlemen.
This advance information enabled the colleges to manipulate their parameters and fraudulently obtain necessary approvals to run their courses, bypassing the standard regulatory framework.
Connection to the NRI Quota Scam
This investigation is not happening in isolation. In a related development back in August, the ED had unearthed a massive admission racket concerning the NRI quota in numerous private medical colleges across the country.
The probe revealed that these colleges were offering admissions to non-deserving Indian candidates on a staggering 18,000 MBBS UG and PG seats that were reserved under the NRI quota. These admissions were processed based on forged documents.
Following searches at medical colleges in Bengal and Odisha, the ED seized crucial evidence. Upon verifying the seized NRI certificates with the respective Indian embassies and missions, the agency discovered that the majority of them were forged. A deeper investigation indicated that these medical colleges were paying agents to prepare fake NRI documents, thereby generating substantial "proceeds of crime".
Aftermath and Policy Revisions
The exposure of this widespread scam has prompted direct action from the central government. In response to the ED's findings, the Centre has revised its NRI admission policy. The Directorate General of Health Services has since issued fresh guidelines to tighten the process and prevent such fraudulent activities in the future.
The current raids signify an escalation in the ED's efforts to trace the money trail and uncover the full extent of the corruption network affecting the medical education sector in India.
