1234 Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted raids on 19 premises across West Bengal, including seven medical colleges in the state, in connection with alleged quota corruption in MBBS admissions at private medical colleges.
While absconding Trinamool Yuva leader Vinay Mishra is the director of a medical college, Malay Pit, a close aide of Anubrata Mandal, is director of another medical college. Searches were also conducted at the Haldia residence of former CPM leader Laxman Seth.
Two ED teams reached the Salt Lake BC block residence of a relative of an owner of a medical college. They searched the residence and took documents from the owner. Another team reached the medical college near Jadavpur in the evening. It all started after ED initiated a case based on an FIR at the Electronic Complex police station. Allegations suggest that fake documents were used for NRI quota admissions since 2021.
Each of the seven medical colleges under scrutiny has 23 seats reserved for NRIs. These colleges charge between Rs 1.2 crore to Rs 1.7 crore annually as tuition fees from students admitted under the NRI quota. According to ED sources, cumulatively Rs 28 crore was mopped up by each of these medical colleges each year.
Normally, students of Indian origin living abroad are eligible to apply under the NRI quota at these private hospitals. This includes students whose families work abroad, as well as those born and educated overseas.
According to ED sources, Vinay Mishra's involvement surfaced when the central agency officials started probing a Durgapur-based medical college. Mishra, one of the main accused persons in the illegal coal smuggling case, was also a whole-time director in the holding company of the medical college since 2019.
Malay Pit, another Birbhum-based businessman who is under the scanner of the central investigating agencies in connection with illegal cattle trade, is also the President of the Bolpur-based medical college. Pit also set up a medical college in Tripura. It was alleged that the medical colleges amassed hundreds of crores under the guise of admission under the NRI quota. "There is no corruption. We did not admit any student under the NRI quota since 2021," Pit said.
Another team also reached the residence of Laxman Seth, former CPM strongman at Haldia. Seth, who was at his Haldia residence during the period, runs the medical college under the banner of a voluntary organisation. Searches were also conducted at the hospital.