CBI uncovers major medical education scam involving top officials, godman

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against 35 individuals in connection with a massive bribery scam related to medical college approvals across India.

The accused include top officials, middlemen, medical college promoters, and Rawatpura Sarkar (Ravishankar Maharaj), a controversial godman who allegedly used his influence to help unqualified colleges gain recognition.

The investigation began with a trap operation involving Sri Rawatpura Sarkar Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Raipur.

Three doctors from the National Medical Commission (NMC) were caught accepting a bribe of ₹55 lakh in exchange for a favorable inspection report. Raids by the CBI recovered ₹38.38 lakh from an aide of the accused and ₹16.62 lakh from a government official’s residence.

The trail led to a wider network of bribe-fueled fake inspections and approvals across multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

In one case, Index Medical College in Indore allegedly paid ₹5 crore to facilitate its recognition. Several colleges are believed to have forged faculty records, faked infrastructure details, and conducted mock inspections using ghost staff.

Among those named in the FIR is DP Singh, former University Grants Commission chairman and current chancellor of Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Retired bureaucrat Sanjay Shukla, who served as a RERA chairman, was also listed. Both are accused of facilitating approvals or shielding the irregularities in exchange for large bribes, often routed through hawala channels.

The CBI says the scam has widespread implications on the credibility of India’s medical education system and the quality of healthcare professionals being certified.

The use of spiritual influence, political proximity, and bureaucratic collusion helped the colleges bypass stringent NMC guidelines, according to the agency.

Investigators are continuing to uncover the extent of the scam, which could potentially lead to a restructuring of inspection processes for medical institutions in India.