Crores in Bribes, Godman, and Top Officials: CBI Exposes India’s Massive Medical College Scam
Self-styled godman Rawatpura Sarkar, also known as Ravishankar Maharaj, whose ties to politicians and breaucrats have raised eyebrows.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered what it calls one of India’s largest medical education scams, implicating 35 individuals, including top officials, a self-styled godman, and a sprawling network of middlemen orchestrating a multi-crore bribery racket across multiple states. The scandal, centered around fraudulent inspections and illegal approvals for substandard medical colleges, has exposed systemic corruption involving the Ministry of Health, the National Medical Commission (NMC), and prominent institutions.
The probe began with a sting operation at Shri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SRIMSR) in Raipur, where six individuals, including three doctors, were arrested for accepting Rs 55 lakh in bribes to issue favorable inspection reports. The CBI recovered Rs 38.38 lakh from an aide of the inspection team leader and Rs 16.62 lakh from another official’s residence, with funds funneled through hawala channels. This case unraveled a nationwide conspiracy involving dummy faculty, forged biometric attendance, fake experience certificates, and leaked confidential files.
Key figures named in the CBI’s FIR include DP Singh, former UGC Chairman and current Tata Institute of Social Sciences Chancellor, Suresh Singh Bhadoria of Index Medical College in Indore, and self-styled godman Rawatpura Sarkar, also known as Ravishankar Maharaj, whose ties to politicians and bureaucrats have raised eyebrows. Sanjay Shukla, a retired IFS officer and trustee of the Rawatpura group, is also implicated, though only SRIMSR director Atul Tiwari has been arrested so far.
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The scam extended from Rajasthan, Gurgaon, and Indore to Warangal and Visakhapatnam. At Index Medical College, Bhadoria allegedly orchestrated ghost faculty and falsified records to deceive NMC assessors, charging Rs 3-5 crore per institution to secure NMC recognition. Rawatpura Sarkar, linked to Bhadoria through their shared hometown in Madhya Pradesh, is accused of leveraging his influence to facilitate these deals. His trust has faced prior allegations of land encroachments and unapproved colleges, though few cases reached prosecution until now.
A parallel operation involved Jitu Lal Meena, a former Medical Assessment and Rating Board member, who allegedly extracted bribes through intermediaries like Virendra Kumar of Gurgaon and Manisha Joshi of Dwarka. Shockingly, Meena reportedly diverted Rs 75 lakh of illicit funds to build a Hanuman temple in Rajasthan. In the south, agents like B Hari Prasad, Ankam Rambabu, and Krishna Kishore arranged dummy faculty and fake patients for inspections, with Gayatri Medical College and Father Colombo Institute of Medical Sciences in Warangal paying crores through hawala and banking channels to secure approvals.
The CBI alleges that Health Ministry officials photographed internal files and shared them via WhatsApp with college representatives, enabling fraudulent preparations. Over 40 medical colleges may have gained recognition through such manipulations, undermining the integrity of India’s medical education system. The accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act for bribery, criminal conspiracy, and breach of official secrecy. With searches conducted across six states, the CBI signals more arrests as it dismantles this entrenched syndicate.
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