The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday said that some officials from the central probe agency were booked for taking bribes during a probe into the nursing college scam in Madhya Pradesh. The investigation into the nursing college scam has revealed that its officers were allegedly collecting Rs 2-10 lakh from each institute to give favourable reports after inspection, the CBI said.
CBI investigating officials among 22 booked for bribery
According to the probe agency, CBI Deputy SP Ashish Prasad, inspectors Rahul Raj and Sushil Kumar Majoka, who were on attachment in the CBI from the MP Police, and Rishi Kant Asathe are among 22 persons booked in the case. Raj was arrested on Sunday.
The CBI FIR also named the directors and chairpersons of eight colleges offering nursing courses, as well as staff and middlemen who collected and delivered the bribes on behalf of the inspection teams.
A CBI spokesperson said in a statement, "A case registered by CBI reinforces its zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and shows that CBI does not spare its own officials if found deviating from core values of the organization."
The inspection teams were constituted on the orders of the Madhya Pradesh High Court to inspect the nursing colleges in the state. The CBI set up these teams, which, in addition to their officers, included staff nominated by the Indian Nursing Council and patwaris of the state.
The CBI received information that the teams indulged in corrupt practices by giving suitability reports to ineligible institutes in return for huge bribes. After verifying and discreetly observing the officers and agents, the agency registered an FIR.
"The source also informed that the bribe money collected by this cartel from each nursing college varies from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. This bribe money is shared among CBI officers and middlemen," the CBI FIR said.
The agency also received input that in addition to the amount, Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 was paid to each nursing officer and Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 to each patwari attached to the CBI team as a bribe.
"Bribe amount for the nursing officer, specialist and patwari used to be delivered by these private persons (middlemen) on the same day or the next day of inspection," the FIR said.
The CBI has named chairpersons of two institutes -- Anil Bhaskaran of Malay College of Nursing and Ravi Bhadoria of RD Memorial College of Nursing and Pharmacy -- in the FIR.
Directors of various colleges, including Jugal Kishor Sharma of Bhaskar College of Nursing, Ashish Chouhan of Dhar College of Education, Mukesh Giri Goswami of Shubhdeep College of Nursing, and Mohit Niroge of Khargone Institute of Medical Science have also been booked.
In addition, Om Goswami and Gaurav Sharma of Pratyansh College of Nursing and Paramedical have also been listed as accused in the FIR.
The CBI has alleged that Jugal Kishore was one of the middlemen leading a module of bribe collectors assisted by Ashok Nagar, Rohit Sharma, and Radha Raman in collecting and delivering bribes to the inspection teams.
The CBI has alleged that Kishore had contacted several nursing colleges, including MB Sharma Nursing College, Indra Academy of Nursing, and Akhan Jyoti College of Nursing. The CBI FIR also alleged that he collected and delivered bribes from them in exchange for favourable inspection reports.
Kishore also used Radharaman Sharma to deliver bribes to CBI inspector Rahul Raj's friend, Rahul Sharma, in Jaipur, on the officer's instructions.
The FIR said Om Goswami led another module of middlemen and was assisted by Ravi Bhadoria, Kamal Irani, Ashish Chouhan, Mukesh Giri Goswami, Mohit Niroge, Gourav Sharma and Ved Sharma, Zuber Sheikh, Preeti Tilkwar, and Tanveer Khan.
The CBI had received information that Goswami had paid bribes of around Rs 25 lakh in two tranches to Tanveer Khan, CEO of Patel Motors, who had bought 400 grams of bullion from the bribe amount from Ratlam, the FIR alleged.
The FIR has also alleged that Bhaskaran was acting as a middleman who collected Rs 10 lakh from Sachin Jain's office on May 18, which was to be delivered to Rahul Raj.
Officials said Sushil Kumar Majoka, a Madhya Pradesh Police officer currently in CBI on attachment from the police, was also taken into custody by the central agency.
The CBI had arrested a total of 13 persons, which also included the chairman of Indore-based R D Memorial College of Nursing and Pharmacy, Ravi Bhadoria, Director of Gwalior-based Bhaskar College of Nursing Jugal Kishor Sharma, Principal of Bhopal-based Bhabha University Jalpana Adhikari and Om Goswami of Pratyansh College of Nursing and Paramedical, Indore, they said.
(With PTI inputs)
