CBI Cracks Down on Nursing Scam in Madhya Pradesh, Arrests 13

In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended 13 individuals, including two of its inspectors, for their involvement in a nursing scam in Madhya Pradesh. This action comes in the wake of a directive from the High Court, mandating a thorough investigation by the central agency into the allegations of irregularities within the state's nursing colleges.

The arrests, made over the last 24 hours, include CBI inspectors Rahul Raj and Sushil Kumar Majoka, alongside three alleged intermediaries Om Goswami, Ravi Bhadoria, and Jugal Kishore, as well as three women. Following their arrest, all accused have been remanded to CBI custody until May 29, as per official statements.

This crackdown is part of an ongoing probe into the alleged malpractices surrounding the operation of nursing colleges in Madhya Pradesh. Notably, Inspector Raj was apprehended on Saturday, May 18, for accepting an illicit payment of Rs 10 lakh from Anil Bhaskaran and his wife Suma Anil. Subsequent investigations led to raids at 31 locations across Bhopal, Indore, Ratlam, and Jaipur, yielding over Rs 2.33 crore in cash, four gold bars, 36 digital devices, and more than 150 incriminating documents.

According to sources, the arrested CBI inspectors were implicated in accepting bribes to exonerate underqualified nursing colleges. The agency has since initiated administrative proceedings against those found culpable. The internal vigilance mechanism of the CBI uncovered that certain officials were complicit in corrupt practices, offering favorable inspection reports in exchange for bribes.

A case has been registered against 23 individuals, including Inspector Raj and three other agency officials, following these revelations. This action was spurred by a December 2022 directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which ordered an inspection of nursing colleges after petitions highlighted that many were operating merely with dispensaries and lacked essential infrastructure.

Initial inspections by the CBI revealed that out of approximately 500 nursing colleges surveyed, 65 were found deficient in infrastructure or were operating with just dispensaries. These institutions have been barred from conducting nursing courses pending further investigation by the central agency into other nursing colleges.

The arrests mark a critical step in addressing corruption within the educational sector and ensuring that nursing colleges meet the requisite standards to provide quality education and healthcare training.