07 October,2011 07:04 AM IST | | Imran Gowhar
Plotters used qualified and employed medical graduates to write the CET and COMED-K for a fee and then sold the seats to aspirants for Rs 75-90 lakh each
A medical seat racket being run by a city-based doctor in connivance with a rowdy-sheeter and the husband of a BBMP corporator, was busted by Central Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths on Tuesday. The three accused arrested in the scam are Dr Ibrahim Pasha, Ishtiyaq Ahmed alias Ishtiyaq Pehalwan and Rafat Malik.
Busted: Dr Ibrahim Pasha (C) , a medical practioner from Wilson
Garden flanked and his associates, Rafat malik (left) and Ishtiyaq
Ahmed alias Ishtiyaq Pehalwan ( right)
City Police Commissioner Jyoti Prakash Mirji said that the group used to rope in qualified and employed medical graduates to write the Common Entrance Test (CET) and COMED-K.
Mirji revealed that proxy students, upon getting allotment of medical and dental seats, would surrender the same on the last date of counselling by the CET or COMED-K and these would be sold by the gang as management quota seats for anywhere between Rs 75 lakh to Rs 90 lakh.
The racket came to light following investigations into complaints by medical and dental seats aspirants, who were cheated after making payments to the gang. On October 1, CCB had arrested eight persons for allegedly duping several aspirants after promising them medical seats in prestigious colleges in the city.
In addition, another gang of three was nabbed for cheating dental seat aspirants. The scam has inter-state ramifications, as a majority of those duped hail from other states.
Meanwhile, CCB officials suspect that persons in the college management are also involved in the scam and are conducting a detailed enquiry.
"During preliminary investigations, the accused revealed the involvement of the college management in the scam, without whose help the scam would not have flourished," CCB officials said.
He added that documentary evidence is being gathered to further prove their involvement. Mirji said that the gang used the corporator's husband to scare the victims into not approaching the proper channels to report the scam.
"The gang has not only cheated the students, but made a fool of the CET. Ishtiyaq, husband of the Shivajinagar corporator, used to threaten the victims with dire consequences if they demanded their money back after failing to get a seat as promised," Mirji said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police GT Ajjappa said that the scam is large-scale and the victims are mostly from other states. "We suspect that the gang, which is operational for several years, has cheated hundreds of students, a majority of who are outside the state," Ajjappa said.
He added that the police were gathering feedback from the students and their parents about this gang, which is proving helpful in the investigations.
