'Bribes For Confidential Info': How ED Uncovered Money Laundering in Medical College Inspection Scam

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday registered an alleged money laundering case in India's biggest medical colleges inspection scam involving a self-styled godman, Varanasi-based Guruji, and senior health ministry officials.The probe agency said it raided at least 15 locations across various states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi."ED case stems from a CBI FIR registered on June 30 where in its alleged that bribes have been paid to government officials including officials of National Medical Commission officials in lieu of disclosing confidential information pertaining to the inspection of medical colleges to key managerial

persons," officials said.

"The information was given to key managerial persons are related to medical colleges and middlemen which enabled them to manipulate the parameters and obtain approval for running academic courses at the medical colleges," officials added.Enforcement Directorate said during searches they covered seven premises of medical colleges which located in multiple states and residential premises of certain private persons who have been named in the CBI's FIR.The anti-money laundering probe agency said CBI FIR also named a Guru ji, a self-styled godman, who was one of the accused among 34 named.

"The allegations were that 35 accused including senior health ministry officials allegedly took bribes and manipulated inspection reports of medical colleges and thus granted them approval," said officials.Earlier in June, CBI had said accused through a Varanasi based Guru ji was in touch with a member of Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB)."They, in criminal conspiracy with each other. extorted substantial amounts of illegal gratification from various private medical colleges in exchange for granting them undue regulatory favours," said officials.The bribe amounts were allegedly routed through a Delhi-based doctor through hawala channels. "Different modus operandi were reportedly used by the accused to manipulate the process by illegally influencing inspecting doctors," said officials.

"These individuals have allegedly facilitated unauthorised access, unlawful duplication and dissemination of confidential files and sensitive information pertaining to the regulatory status and internal processing of medical colleges within the Ministry. Furthermore, they have been involved in manipulating the statutory inspection process conducted by the NMC by preemptively disclosing the inspection schedules and identities of the designated assessors to the concerned medical institutions, well in advance of the official communication," CBI FIR claimed. Back in June, the CBI had said that it conducted searches at more than 40 locations across Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh.