ED raids six locations in Bengal over irregularities in NRI quota medical admissions

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was conducting raid and search operations on Thursday at six locations in West Bengal, mainly in and around the state capital in connection with irregularities in admission to the private medical colleges under the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota.

Sources aware of the development said that ED raids are being conducted following a specific complaint filed at a local police station in the northern outskirts of Kolkata where it was alleged that fake NRI certificates were used in securing admissions under the quota in several private medical colleges operating. And by virtue of those fake certificates, many candidates secured admission under the quota despite not being NRIs.

Sources added that ED officials are investigating the matter based on specific information that such irregularities in admission at private medical colleges were being done against hefty cash payments.

At the time the report was filed, the six locations where the raids and search operations by the ED officials were being conducted include Kolkata and its adjacent South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts.

Each team of raiding officials was escorted by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel. Under the ED scanner are a total of eight private medical colleges operating out of West Bengal.

This is not the first time that the ED officials have conducted raids and search operations in West Bengal in this connection. In December last year also, the central agency officials conducted similar raid and search operations in the matter at multiple locations in the state, including Salt Lake in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, the industrial township of Haldia in East Midnapore district, Durgapur in West Burdwan, Budge Budge in South Parganas and Birbhum among others.

At that point in time, at Haldia, the raid and search operations were conducted at the residence of the former CPI(M) Lok Sabha member from Tamluk Lakshman Seth, who runs an NGO operating private medical and dental colleges at Haldia.

At Birbhum, the private medical college where the ED raid and search operations are going on is owned by businessman Malay Pith, whose name first surfaced in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling case in West Bengal.

The matter of irregularities in the medical admissions under the NRI quota was first highlighted by the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari in September last year.

He alleged that in many such admissions, there were severe irregularities against hefty cash transactions which even included admission through the production of fake certificates. Adhikari also accused some senior officials attached to the state health department of being involved in the case.