Lid blown off med admissions racket

Kolkata: The recent arrest of a youth from Jalpaiguri's Malbazar has blown the lid off a fake SC/ST certificates and medical college seats racket, which issued these documents for a price to ensure their customers got admitted to reputable medical colleges with the unfair advantage of using the caste quota system.
Some of those whom he had helped have even managed to secure MBBS degrees, and are now qualified to practice as doctors.
The CID, who arrested 32-year-old Sumantra Chaudhury two weeks ago, said more than 220 students had received his help in the past 10 years. Chaudhuri used to demand anything between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 30 lakh to issue fake papers to medical college hopefuls, promising them seats in colleges in Kolkata, Siliguri, Katihar and Bengaluru. The investigators said only a few of them were finally able to grab the promised seats; most were left in the lurch even after making full payments.
CID sources said Chaudhury began this illegal business by using the deep connections of his father, who's presently the superintendent of a medical college in Bihar. "We have come to know that between 2006 and 2010, the accused was living in Golf Green. His father was then employed in a senior position at a north Bengal medical college. He opened an office at Jodhpur Park to 'assist' students for admission. It was here that his business really took off," said a source.
"Chaudhury recruited agents across the country who prepared a list of students who missed getting admission to medical colleges each year," an investigator said. "He used to then publish advertisements claiming he could help get them seats. There were several cases where, though fake certificates were issued, the candidates did not get a medical seat. In those cases, Chaudhuri and his gang merely kept assuring them of a seat at other college, all the time milking more money out of them. At times, the accused ensured he made highest bids at certain medical colleges for their management quota seats. Amazingly, a few of the students who managed to gain entry in such colleges have now managed to secure their MBBS degrees."
Chaudhuri was first arrested in 2013 for allegedly duping a medical student from Guwahati - Nagma Khan - into paying Rs 17 lakh, promising her admission in a reputable college. By then, he had shifted to a posh house in Siliguri. In the present case, it was a complaint by an Andamans student, Sajia Ahmed, this January, that led to his arrest. Ahmed had lodged the complaint with the Siliguri commissionerate and the case was later transferred to CID. Sources said Ahmed had passed Class XII in 2012 and had befriended a man who promised to get her admitted to a medical college in Bengaluru. However, after receiving an initial payment, the student was asked to meet Sumantra.
He allegedly promised her a seat at Katihar Medical College and demanded several lakhs from her. She paid the money all through 2013 but never got into a medical college.