ED Cracks Down on Fake NRI Quota Admissions in Medical Colleges

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has exposed a significant scam involving private medical colleges in West Bengal and Odisha. These institutions, offering MBBS, MD, and MS courses, allegedly utilized fake documents to admit ineligible candidates under the NRI quota, despite possessing detailed information of forgery from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The ED's investigation has unearthed incriminating evidence, leading to the provisional attachment of a fixed deposit worth Rs 6.42 crore belonging to a private West Bengal college. Previously, assets valued at Rs 12.33 crore were also seized. The authorities discovered college managements colluded with agents to forge documents, such as embassy certifications and family trees, deceiving both candidates and the regulatory system.

The agency reported that agents procured credentials from unrelated NRIs, remunerating them to assume the role of financial sponsors. In an alarming discovery, identical sponsorship documents were used for multiple candidates, violating Supreme Court guidelines. Despite categorical warnings from various Indian consulates regarding the authenticity of NRI sponsor certificates, state authorities have yet to take action.

(With inputs from agencies.)