Judges Committee issues notices on DMET malpractice

Bhopal, Aug 17 (UNI) A Judges Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court, has served notices to private-sector institutions against whom allegations of malpractice were levelled vis-a-vis the August 13 Dental and Medical Entrance Test (DMET) to Madhya Pradesh's private colleges.

Official sources said that responses are to be filed by August 19 and the committee would determine the future course of action. If the replies are found unsatisfactory, the committee might cancel the DMET and order a fresh exam.

The apex court formed the committee to supervise admission to courses in private-sector medical and dental colleges. Such institutions earlier had 50 per cent management and 50 per cent state government quotas.

The latter category of quotas was scrapped by the Supreme Court, which ruled that an association of colleges would conduct the entrance tests that would be monitored by the Judges Committee.

Bhopal Police's City CID branch arrested a local dental college's employee Chaturbhuj Dubey yesterday and seized Rs 12.5 lakh besides about Rs 4 lakh worth of postdated cheques. The accused is being interrogated.

''Investigation is in progress,'' DIG Sanjeev Kumar Singh told UNI. In view of the alleged role of influential political leaders, police are keeping the probe under wraps.

Ms Rekha had complained to police that Dubey took Rs 10,000 and Rs 3.40 lakh in postdated cheques for ensuring that her nephew would ''clear'' DMET and secure entry into the college through the management quota. However, Ms Rekha smelt a rat.

In view of the case's serious nature, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured that all such complaints would be forwarded to the Justice Chandra Bhushan Committee formed to monitor DMET-linked cases.

DMET was conducted on August 13 at three local centres and other principal cities. Following a report that the paper had leaked, ABVP activists alleged a scam and demanded the test's cancellation.

UNI Team-AC MSJ PM2240