ED Attaches ₹5.34 Crore Assets of Private Medical Colleges in PG Admissions Fraud
Hyderabad, Nov 29: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Hyderabad Zonal Office, has provisionally attached assets worth ₹5.34 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The attached assets belong to private medical colleges accused of blocking seats in postgraduate (PG) medical admissions under the Management Quota.
Background of the Case
The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by Matwada Police Station, Warangal. The FIR stemmed from a complaint by the Registrar of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), alleging malpractice in PG medical admissions. The complaint claimed that certain candidates with high NEET PG ranks were being used to block seats under the Management Quota.
In response to KNRUHS’s warnings of legal action, some candidates denied applying for registration under the Management Quota, raising suspicions of foul play.
Findings of the Investigation
The ED uncovered a network of private medical colleges, consultants, and middlemen actively involved in seat-blocking schemes. Key revelations include:
- Seat Blocking: High-ranking students’ credentials were used to block seats until the mop-up round or last phase of counseling.
- Exit Penalty: The colleges themselves paid the penalty imposed by the university for students exiting at the last stage.
- Stray Vacancies: These vacated seats were declared as stray vacancies, allowing colleges to fill them as institutional quota seats, often charging fees up to three times the regular Management Quota (MQ1) fees.
- Capitation Fees: In some instances, additional capitation fees were collected in cash over and above the inflated fees.
The investigation identified these additional and unaccounted charges as Proceeds of Crime (POC).
Assets Attached
The ED has attached the following assets:
- Chalmeda Ananda Rao Institute of Medical Sciences: ₹3.33 crore in bank balances.
- MNR Medical College: ₹2.01 crore in bank balances.
In an earlier action, the ED seized unaccounted cash worth ₹1.475 crore and froze bank balances amounting to ₹2.89 crore from Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences.
Total Seizures
With the latest attachment, the total value of seized, frozen, or attached assets in the case stands at ₹9.71 crore.
Next Steps
The ED stated that further investigations into the case are underway to uncover additional financial irregularities and involved parties.
