MBBS students confirm tampering with their answer sheets, deny involvement

During a hearing before the Disciplinary Committee at PGIMS Rohtak, some MBBS students from a private college confirmed tampering with their answer sheets but denied any involvement, sources said. The students pointed out that certain sections of their answer sheets contained handwriting that was different from their own.

“The committee called over 30 students, most of whom were named in the FIR related to the MBBS exam scam at Pt BD Sharma University of Health Sciences Rohtak (UHSR), for hearings held from March 17 to 19. They were given the opportunity to inspect their answer sheets and verify discrepancies,” sources said.

A PGIMS official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that four to five students acknowledged that different handwriting appeared on parts of their answer sheets but insisted they had no idea who was responsible, as they had submitted their sheets directly to the invigilators.

"Except for these, the rest of the MBBS students denied any tampering with their answer sheets. As a result, the Disciplinary Committee has decided to get all these answer sheets examined by a handwriting expert. A previous inquiry by a three-member panel, led by the Director of Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, Karnal, had already found evidence of tampering in several answer sheets,” the official added.

Sources further claimed that the committee obtained written consent from all the students to have their answer sheets analysed by a handwriting expert. The students were called for hearings in batches through their respective college authorities.

“The committee was constituted by UHSR authorities to conduct personal hearings with MBBS students and obtain their responses regarding their answer sheets,” sources explained.

Dr SK Singhal, Director of PGIMS, confirmed that some students acknowledged the tampering but maintained they were unaware of who was responsible. “The Disciplinary Committee has now opted to proceed with a handwriting expert for their sheets,” he said.

The MBBS exam scam involves answer sheets from annual and supplementary exams being smuggled out of the university, re-attempted by students, and then clandestinely resubmitted to secure passing marks through fraudulent means.

A total of 41 individuals, including 17 UHSR employees and 24 MBBS students, have been named in the FIR registered on February 15. Three employees have been arrested so far, and the police investigation is still ongoing.