NEW DELHI: ED Thursday conducted searches at 15 locations across 10 states in an alleged bribery-related probe against officials of NMC and promoters of private medical colleges for manipulation of regulatory frameworks. Medical colleges and their promoters covered under the latest ED action are based in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, UP and Delhi.ED’s money laundering probe is based on an FIR registered by CBI wherein it was alleged that bribes had been paid to govt officials, including those from NMC, in lieu of “disclosing confidential information pertaining to inspection of medical colleges to key managerial persons of private medical colleges and middlemen”, enabling them to manipulate the parameters and obtain approval for running courses.In Aug, ED had busted an NRI quota admission racket at many private medical colleges across country. These colleges had offered admissions to non-deserving Indian candidates on 18,000 MBBS UG/PG seats reserved under the quota, based on forged documents.ED conducted searches at medical colleges in Bengal and Odisha and seized crucial evidence in NRI quota scam. On verifying the seized NRI certificates with the respective Indian embassies and missions, ED found most of them to be forged. Further probe revealed these medical colleges were paying agents to get fake NRI documents prepared, thereby generating huge “proceeds of crime”. Centre has since revised its NRI admission policy with DG of health services issuing fresh guidelines.
