Rs 18 crore scam in NRI quota medical admissions exposed by ED

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has revealed a large-scale fraud involving forged documents used to obtain admissions in private medical colleges in West Bengal and Odisha under the NRI quota.

The ED’s investigation found that several private medical colleges colluded with agents to secure admissions through falsified NRI documents. Despite clear warnings from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about these forgeries, state officials reportedly failed to act against the students and institutions involved.

During the probe, the ED confiscated various incriminating records and provisionally attached a fixed deposit of Rs 6.42 crore belonging to a private college in West Bengal. Previously, assets worth Rs 12.33 crore connected to colleges and individuals were also seized as part of this case.

COLLEGES AND AGENTS INVOLVED IN ADMISSION FRAUD

According to the ED, management of certain private medical colleges — offering MBBS, MD, and MS programs — worked hand-in-hand with agents to fabricate NRI certificates, including fake embassy documents and family trees.

In some instances, the same set of NRI sponsor documents was reused for multiple unrelated candidates. Colleges allegedly paid agents to create these forged papers, misrepresenting non-related NRIs as legitimate sponsors to falsely comply with Supreme Court requirements.

“These private colleges funded agents to arrange forged documents. Agents procured details of unrelated NRIs, paid them, and prepared fake sponsorship papers that were then used for multiple students,” the ED said.

The repeated use of identical forged documents for different applicants highlights the systematic nature of this fraud. Colleges were not only financially supporting the creation of these fake documents but were also fully aware of their illegal nature.

STATE AUTHORITIES FAILED TO ACT DESPITE WARNINGS

The ED stated that despite receiving clear evidence of forgery from the MEA regarding certain NRI sponsors, state authorities did not take any corrective action.

The agency further revealed that large commissions were paid in connection with this scam, pointing to a well-organized network of agents, college officials, and possibly other facilitators.

The investigation remains ongoing, with further seizures and legal actions expected as the ED continues to follow the money trail and identify all parties involved.