In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended 13 individuals, including two of its own inspectors, in connection with a pervasive “nursing scam” in Madhya Pradesh. The arrests come as part of an ongoing investigation mandated by a High Court order, underscoring serious irregularities in the state’s nursing colleges.
Among those arrested are CBI inspectors Rahul Raj and Sushil Kumar Majoka, along with three alleged touts—Om Goswami, Ravi Bhadoria, and Jugal Kishore—and three women. A CBI release detailed that these individuals were detained over the past 24 hours and subsequently remanded to CBI custody until May 29 by a court.
The core of the scam revolves around significant irregularities in the operation of nursing colleges within Madhya Pradesh. On May 18, CBI inspector Rahul Raj was apprehended while accepting an illicit payment of Rs 10 lakh from Anil Bhaskaran and his wife, Suma Anil. This arrest led to extensive searches by the CBI across 31 locations in Bhopal, Indore, Ratlam, and Jaipur. These operations resulted in the seizure of over Rs 2.33 crore in cash, four gold bars, 36 digital devices, and more than 150 incriminating documents.
The detained CBI inspectors were reportedly accepting bribes in exchange for issuing favorable inspection reports to substandard nursing colleges, thereby allowing them to continue operating despite lacking adequate infrastructure. This corrupt practice was facilitated through intermediaries or conduits. Following these discoveries, the CBI has taken administrative action against the implicated officials and registered a case against 23 persons, including Inspector Raj, three other CBI officials, and various conduits/touts.
The investigation by the CBI was initiated following a directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court in December 2022. The court ordered the CBI to inspect nursing colleges in response to petitions alleging that many of these institutions were functioning with mere dispensaries and without necessary infrastructure. The CBI’s comprehensive inspection of around 500 nursing colleges revealed that 65 lacked the required infrastructure or were operating with only dispensaries. Consequently, these colleges were barred from running nursing courses.
The central agency’s scrutiny of other nursing colleges continues, aiming to uncover and address further irregularities. The CBI’s internal vigilance mechanism played a pivotal role in exposing the corrupt activities, ensuring that even its own personnel were held accountable.
This crackdown highlights the CBI’s commitment to rooting out corruption within its ranks and across various sectors. By bringing the guilty to justice and upholding the integrity of the nursing education system, the CBI aims to restore public trust and ensure that educational standards are maintained.
As the investigation progresses, more details are expected to emerge, potentially implicating additional individuals and institutions. The arrests and ongoing inspections signal a broader effort to cleanse the educational sector of corruption and ensure that nursing students receive quality education in properly equipped institutions.
