From rxpgnews.com

Doctors
Overview of CBI Raids in AIIMS Conducted PG Exam Leak Case
By IANS & RxPG Staff Reporter, Mar 29, 2006 - 9:08:37 PM

Sleuths of the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) Wednesday raided clinics and residences of several doctors at 35 places across the country for their alleged involvement in the leakage of medical examination question papers in All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGMEE) conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi for the year 2006. It claims to have cracked the case of question paper leak and other malpractices committed within two days of registering the case. The investigating agency which initially registered two cases in this connection on the basis of a complaint received from the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, today conducted searches at more than 30 places spread over the States of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Delhi. The searches and subsequent examination of the suspected doctors has revealed that two doctors of Pondicherry and one from Madurai were the kingpins of this scam and they had collected amounts of up to Rs. 10 lakh from each of the candidates.

The raids were carried out in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Chennai and cases against 22 doctors were registered in Chennai and 6 cases were registered in Delhi. Officials said initial investigation had suggested a possibility of a scam and therefore raids were carried out by the agency. They said some doctors who were questioned during the raids confessed to receiving Rs.1 million for leaking the question paper and helping students answer the questions. They said the doctors had helped the aspirants by sending them text messages on their mobile phones. Question papers were taken out of the examination halls and then answers were sent through SMSs.

According to the CBI, when results of the All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Examination (AIPGE) were declared, it was found that 424 aspirants, who cleared the exam for 1,006 seats, were from Chennai. The entrance exam was held in January this year. Officials said among the top 100 students, 37 were from the Tamil Nadu capital. Investigations were carried out after several aspirants complained about malpractices adopted by some students during the exam.

The modus-operandi of the racket was that the question papers from the examination hall were taken out and answers were provided by a group of people which were sent through SMS to the doctors appearing for the entrance test. CBI during investigation found evidence of money changing hands and receipts taken from doctors who had organised the entire operation. CBI found that the candidates had also arranged cell phones on the day of the examination for receiving the answer keys through SMS on the cell phones.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry was concerned about malpractices in such a prestigious examination had promptly handed over the case to CBI for investigation. During the preliminary enquiry by CBI, it was revealed that out of 1006 seats, 424 candidates had been selected from Chennai Centre alone and in the list of first 100 candidates, 37 candidates figured from Chennai Centre. The analysis of the answer sheets revealed that they had used unfair means to get selected. The enquiry concluded that there was a strong possibility of a large scale scam involving a number of doctors of Chennai and Tamil Nadu, who would have indulged in illegal acts in getting selected for this All India Post Graduate Medical Entrance Test.

CBI registered the two cases on 27.3.2006 under different sections of IPC for cheating, forgery and under the Prevention of Corruption Act against 28 doctors who were suspected to have connived with unknown public servants for illegal means to pass the entrance test. Out of the two cases, one case was registered in Chennai against 22 doctors and unknown public servants and searches were conducted in Chennai, Erode, Madurai, Dindigul, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, Salem, Villupuram, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Tuticorin and Pondicherry. The other case was registered in Delhi against six doctors (who were candidates in the entrance test) and unknown public servants and others. In this connection, searches were conducted in six places in Delhi.

CBI is going to further investigate into all aspects of the case and will try to bring the guilty persons to book at the earliest. More raids are expected.

It may be recalled that CBI had successfully investigated the AIPGMEE-2000 paper leak case and charge sheets have been filed against the accused. Besides, CBI has cracked the CAT-2004 paper leak case, Railway Recruitment paper leak case and recently the CET-2005 Delhi engineering entrance test paper leak case.

Facts that emerged today:

1. 35 places were raided in Chennai, Erode, Madurai, Dindigul, Cuddalore, Kanyakumari, Salem, Villupuram, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Tuticorin and Pondicherry, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi (Six Raids). These places included doctors residences and clinics.

2. Out of the three kingpins, two were from Pondicherry and One from Madurai. Each collected upto one million rupees per candidate for the leak.

3. Answer keys were sent to the candidates inside examination hall on SMS messages.

4. 424 people were selected from Chennai center amongst top 1006 cadidates (whooping 42%).

5. 37% candidates in top 100 were from Chennai center.

6. The answer sheets were analysed by CBI to establish use of unfair means. (good precedent for future)

7. 28 cases against involved candidates have been registered today under Prevention of Corruption act. Out of them 20 are registered in Chennai and 6 cases in Delhi.

All rights reserved by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited ( www.rxpgnews.com )