Medical scam continues, 13 more case found in Asom

Guwahati, Aug 30 (UNI) The Medical Entrance examination scam of Asom continued to snowball with 13 more medicos being found guilty of getting admission by proxy.

Addressing a news conference here today, state Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma said 13 more students were found with prima facie evidence of getting admission into the medical colleges of Asom by proxy and added that their admissions had been cancelled.

'' We always had doubt how students securing 80 per cent marks do not get admission, while students with around 50 per cent marks do well in Medical Entrance Examination. We have got some anonymous letters, which have made us more alert, '' he said.

After the results of the recent Medical Entrance Examinations were declared, the Director of Medical Examination and Controller of Examination made a random cross-check of all the signatures of the selected candidates and found 13 suspected cases.

'' We referred them to the Forensic laboratary and they also announced that all the signatures were different, which means the person, who appeared in the examination hall and the one who has taken the admission are different, '' said Mr Sharma.

Mr Sharma informed that all the information came from anonymous letters. '' I am getting lot of cooperation from the public and hence I could find out some result, But I still suspect lot of anomalies, '' he said.

The Health department had filed an FIR and criminal investigation would soon start, he said. In most of the cases of proxy examination, the candidates hailed from Bihar opting for an examination centre in Guwahati.

With ''Lage Raho Munnabhai'' all set to hit the silver screen soon, ''Munnabhai MBBS'' syndrome was disturbing the medical colleges of Asom as three other students not only got admission to the MBBS course by proxy but went on to attend classes for one year.

'' There is more. I am on the verge of unearthing another racket, where about 12 such students, who got the medical seats through forgery four years back, are on the verge of getting the MBBS degree. Unless we stop them in the next three months, they will be registered doctors, " he stated.

'' I am sure by then we shall be able to crack the case, '' he said.

'' The three, who were arrested, had forced other students to sit in the examination on their behalf and got admitted to the Guwahati Medical College (GMC) hospital last year, '' he said.

The Bureau of Investigation of Economic Offence (BIEO) of the Asom Police had conducted inquiry into the scandal and arrested Sheikh Mohammed Shahin of Guwahati, Parthapratim Bora and Sultan Ahmed of Hojai.

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