CBI books Junagadh Ayurvedic College trustee, faculty over alleged ₹10 lakh bribe offer

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against the trustee of an Ayurvedic College in Junagadh, Gujarat, and a faculty member for allegedly offering a ₹10 lakh bribe to a member of a hearing committee of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), according to the FIR.

The accused have been identified as Nobel Ayurvedic College trustee Pratik Mori and faculty member Dr Abhay Nalawade. The case relates to an alleged attempt to influence the assessment of 13 teachers of the college who were suspected of being present only on paper, the FIR stated.

According to the FIR, Dr Rupali R. Mahadik, Principal of Prabuddh Ayurvedic Medical College in Lucknow, had been assigned by the NCISM as a member of its Hearing Committee to verify the 13 teachers associated with Nobel Ayurvedic College.

The FIR stated that on August 18, Mahadik allegedly received a WhatsApp call from Nalawade, who offered her a bribe in exchange for submitting a favourable report regarding the teachers.

Mahadik subsequently informed Dr Mukul Patel, President of the Medical Assessment and Rating Board for Indian System of Medicine (MARBISM), NCISM, about the alleged offer. According to the FIR, Patel advised her to remain in contact with the person making the offer so that the alleged bribe attempt could be documented and the accused could be caught with evidence.

The FIR further alleged that on August 20, Mori, the trustee of Nobel Ayurvedic College, spoke to Mahadik and allegedly offered to pay her ₹10 lakh in return for giving a positive report and clearing the names of all 13 teachers.

Mahadik, who was unwilling to accept the alleged bribe, subsequently submitted a handwritten complaint dated August 21 to the CBI, seeking legal action against Mori and Nalawade, the FIR stated.

The agency then carried out discreet verification of the allegations. According to the FIR, the verification prima facie disclosed that Mori and Nalawade had allegedly offered and promised to pay ₹10 lakh to Mahadik for clearing the names of the 13 teachers.

During the verification process, Mori allegedly promised that the ₹10 lakh bribe would be paid on August 22 in Delhi, according to the FIR.

Based on the complaint and the verification, the CBI registered the case against the two accused under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, read with Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.

The provisions invoked relate to allegations of criminal conspiracy and the offering of an undue advantage to a public servant. The allegations are contained in the FIR and have not been established in court yet.

The case concerns the verification and assessment of teachers under the regulatory framework of the NCISM, the statutory body responsible for regulating education and professional standards in the Indian systems of medicine.

(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by Education Post)