A medical seat scam is under technical investigation by police. They served a notice to the National Medical Commission (NMC) requesting email server logs, login credentials, and website access.
Police have launched a full-scale technical investigation into the medical seat’scam’ by serving a notice to the National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking ‘complete email server logs’ and ‘log-in details’ of the official email ID of the organization from which the communication was made with certain medical colleges to increase MBBS, MD, and MS seats.
On Sunday, sources said police wanted the official email ID dump data (ds.marb@nmc.org.in) for analysis. Police also requested the commission’s ‘access as well as audit logs’ for nmc.org.in. TOI also received a notice requesting NMC’s network computer firewall logs from the commission.
A senior officer explained that the accused sent colleges communication through the official email and changed the number of seats on their website to make the con look authentic.
The investigation is being conducted by a technical team. National Cyber Forensic Laboratory technicians inspected the Dwarka commissions office.
Delhi Police has seized the computers of two senior commission officials and questioned 6-7 senior officials and some medical colleges as part of its investigation into the alleged illegality of increasing medical seats.
The visitor’s register and CCTV footage from NMC’s MARB (Medical Assessment & Rating Board) office are also being examined by police, a senior officer said. The official added that this was done to prevent unauthorised entry to NCM on days when medical colleges received letters allowing seat increases.
Sameer Sinha, deputy secretary (MARB-NMC), and Prabhat Kumar, undersecretary, had their computers seized by police. The computers were seized for forensic analysis and to prevent tampering and unauthorized access. The two officials denied sending the mails when questioned.
Police suspect the seats were increased for money after the initial investigation. It could be a multi-crore scam. The details can be found after arrests “said the official.
When police examined the pattern of seat increases, they found that colleges could increase seats in many courses. “One college was permitted to increase the seats in MS ophthalmology from five to 10, in MD general medicine from seven to 24 and in MS-ENT from one to 4 seats,” a worker said. Police have not revealed how many college seats were fraudulently increased.
After discovering the permission letters last August, NMC investigated and reported them to the police. Section 66C of the Information Technology Act and IPC criminal conspiracy and cheating FIRs were filed.
Last August, NMC asked colleges not to accept these permission letters on its website. “MARB’s member/president did not issue the letters. The notice said these letters are forged and cannot be used as Medical Assessment and Rating Board, National Medical Commission permission. To prove the scam, Special Commissioner RP Upadhyay formed a team led by DCP Hemant Tiwari.
