Four female students and another individual have been booked in Uttarakhand for allegedly using fake freedom fighter dependent certificates to secure admission to MBBS courses, officials said. The alleged irregularity came to light during the verification of documents submitted for admission under the freedom fighter dependent quota. Following the findings of the verification process, the MBBS admissions obtained under the quota were cancelled.
How the alleged admission fraud came to light
The matter surfaced after a complaint was filed over the authenticity of the certificates used to claim benefits under the freedom fighter dependent category. The Dehradun District Magistrate subsequently constituted a committee to examine and verify the documents.
During the verification exercise, the committee found the certificates suspicious prima facie. Officials also found that the addresses provided in the documents could not be verified. The findings raised questions over the validity of the documents submitted to claim admission under the quota, following which action was initiated against those allegedly involved.
District panel flags certificates as suspicious
Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said a joint inquiry committee comprising the Chief Development Officer and Additional District Magistrate was constituted to examine the certificates and the documents submitted in support of them. According to the inquiry report, the certificates appeared suspicious prima facie. The committee also found that the documents submitted by the applicants were incomplete and that the addresses mentioned in the records could not be verified.
The District Magistrate said the inquiry report has been forwarded to the Director of Medical Education. He added that further action would be taken on the basis of facts that emerge during the police investigation.
FIRs registered against students and mother
Police have registered a case at Clement Town police station against Tripti and her mother, Uma Devi, in connection with the alleged procurement of fake freedom fighter dependent certificates, officials said.
Separate FIRs were registered at Raipur police station against Khushi, Pari and Swati, who had applied for the certificates, according to the officials. The cases were registered after the district administration's verification process raised questions over the authenticity of the documents and the claims made by the applicants.
Four MBBS admissions cancelled
The alleged irregularities have also resulted in the cancellation of the MBBS admissions obtained by the four students under the freedom fighter dependent quota. HNB Medical Education University in Dehradun cancelled their admissions after receiving the report from the district administration, officials said. Director of Medical Education Dr Ashutosh Sayana said the university took the decision on the basis of the report submitted by the Dehradun district administration.
(With inputs from PTI)
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