ED raids across 10 states in medical college graft case

The raids were conducted in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

Sources said the searches were linked to an FIR dated June 30 registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The FIR alleged that bribes were paid to government officials, including those from the National Medical Commission (NMC), in exchange for confidential information regarding inspections of medical colleges.

The investigation alleges that confidential inspection details were disclosed to key managerial personnel of various medical colleges and to intermediaries. This information reportedly enabled the accused to manipulate inspection parameters and subsequently obtain approval to run academic courses at the implicated medical colleges.

The alleged scheme highlights systemic vulnerabilities in the process of granting approvals to educational institutions, raising concerns about the integrity of regulatory oversight and the potential impact on the quality of medical education in the country.

The search operations covered seven premises related to medical colleges in multiple states. In addition, raids were also conducted on the premises of several private individuals named as accused in the CBI FIR. Officials said these individuals played key roles in facilitating the alleged bribery transactions.