Huge demand for post-graduate medical courses is one factor that sowed the seeds for the PG Medical Entrance Test-14 scam, feel CID officials probing it.
Depending on image and prominence of the college or institute offering PG medical courses, amounts ranging from Rs. 80 lakh to Rs. 2.5 crore are demanded for a single seat, they found during investigation. So high is the demand that some candidates reserve the seat two years in advance by paying Rs. 20 lakh to Rs. 40 lakh.
Rs 1.5 crore for question paper!For some, radiology could be a routine course. “The brokers in PGMET-14 scam demanded Rs. 1.5 crore to sell the question paper for seat in radiology,” said CID Additional DGP T. Krishna Prasad at a press conference. The demand is even high for courses like cardiology and general medicine. Brokers demand over Rs. 2 crore for such specialisations.
To exploit the huge demand for PG medical seats, brokers have sprung up in different cities in the country. Some of them ganged up and share details with one another. As the academic year comes close, some agents first reserve the seats by paying Rs. 10 to Rs. 20 lakh to the college management.
They bargain and sell the seat for higher price once the seat aspirant approaches them. “They would collect interest plus profit for their investment from the candidate by selling the seat for higher amount,” said an investigator.
Nearly six months ago, the Petbasheerabad police of Cyberabad arrested a person named Prasad who was operating an educational consultancy from Bowenpally on charge of duping several medical seat aspirants. He collected nearly Rs 1 crore from parents of Intermediate students who wanted to secure M.B.B.S. seats. A couple of students’ parents were working in police department. As he vanished after collecting the money, the parents lodged a complaint leading to his arrest.
