In what is being described as one of India’s biggest medical college scams, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed a sprawling corruption racket involving senior government officials, prominent educationists, middlemen, and a self-styled godman. The scam centres on the illegal approval of substandard medical colleges through bribery, manipulation, and regulatory fraud.
📍 Scope of the Scam
The investigation spans multiple states including:
➡️ Chhattisgarh
➡️ Madhya Pradesh
➡️ Rajasthan
➡️ Delhi
➡️ Uttar Pradesh
➡️ Karnataka
Over 40 medical colleges are suspected of obtaining recognition and approvals through bribery, fake documentation, and forged inspections.
🔍 Key Accused and Modus Operandi
Notable Accused:
- DP Singh – Former UGC Chairman, current Chancellor of TISS
- Ravishankar Maharaj (aka Rawatpura Sarkar) – Self-styled godman
- Suresh Singh Bhadoria – Indore’s Index Medical College
- Jitu Lal Meena – Former Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) member
Scam Techniques:
- Appointment of dummy faculty
- Fake patients and forged attendance records
- Leaked inspection schedules and confidential NMC documents
- Hawala transactions and banking channels to route bribes
- Use of WhatsApp and photos of classified files for operational leaks
🏥 How the Scam Came to Light
The probe began with a tip-off from Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SRIMSR) in Raipur. CBI caught six individuals, including three doctors, accepting a ₹55 lakh bribe in exchange for a favourable inspection report.
Subsequent raids at 40+ locations exposed an entrenched nexus, involving:
- College management
- Ministry of Health & National Medical Commission (NMC) officials
- Middlemen and spiritual influencers
🧘♂️ Role of Rawatpura Sarkar: Godman or Gatekeeper?
The godman, widely known as Rawatpura Sarkar, is deeply entrenched in the scam:
- Allegedly acted as a key fixer for regulatory approvals
- Photographed with top IAS, IPS officers and politicians
- His trust has previously been linked to land encroachment, unapproved colleges, and other violations, but faced minimal legal action until now
- CBI sources claim he charged ₹3–5 crore per college for arranging NMC clearances
🧾 Southern India Operations and Digital Leaks
The racket extended to:
- Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and southern colleges
- Institutions like Father Colombo Institute of Medical Sciences (Warangal) allegedly used dummy faculty, paid agents, and transferred bribes through formal channels
- Inspectors from Delhi were bribed to share internal notes, photos, and schedules via messaging apps
💸 Middlemen and Illegal Fund Use
- Jitu Lal Meena, former MARB member, is accused of being a master coordinator
- Bribes were used for personal gains, including a temple construction in Rajasthan
⚖️ Legal Action So Far
- Cases registered under:
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)
- Prevention of Corruption Act
- Only one arrest so far: Atul Tiwari, a director linked to one of the colleges
- CBI continues investigation, more arrests likely
🏥 Impact on Public Health and Medical Education
The scam has raised serious concerns about:
- The credibility of India’s medical regulatory framework
- Compromised health standards due to underqualified institutions
- The commercialisation and criminalisation of medical education
The CBI has called this a “deep-rooted network” that not only mocks the regulatory process but puts public health at grave risk.
🔔 This is a developing story. More details are expected as the CBI intensifies its investigation.
