NEET-PG scam: Police starts probe

Representational Photo


Police have started investigation to locate the ‘fictitious’ callers offering postgraduate seats against money and the officials claimed that the calls were made from outside Bengal.

Amidst the ensuing NEET controversy across the country, racketeers offered lucrative PG seats against hefty bribes and four PG incumbents already have received such offers and one of them lodged a police complaint seeking probe.

Tanvi Azmi, a physician pursuing postgraduate studies has been asked Rs 60 lakh for a ‘secured berth’ in the merit list in East Burdwan, which has sparked off sensation among the members and executives of the Association of Health Services Doctors yesterday. Azmi, currently serving as the medical officer of Memari Municipality, stationed at ward 4 of Memari town. Amandeep Singh, SP, East Burdwan said, “We’ve taken up the issue as a matter of serious concern and let’s wait for the outcome of the probe.”

Yesterday, the CBI sleuths arrested four undergraduate students of AIIMS, Patna in connection with the NEET-UG paper leak. On 13 June, the Supreme Court allowed cancellation of the scorecards of 1,563 candidates and subsequently on 8 July, the SC observed that the exam was compromised by a paper leak.

The Association, anticipating further ‘corruption and uninhibited irregularities’ in the NEET-PG exam, has lodged a complaint with the director general of police, today. Dr Utpal Banerjee, general secretary of the Association, stated: “It’s truly horrible and ridiculous to see that the brokers and miscreants have daringly offered a tariff to one of the health services physicians even though the CBI probe on the issue is in progress!”

The Association has demanded the police should constitute a high-powered administrative enquiry committee to address the whole event at length and gauge the extent of the alleged crime. It also mentioned, “Explore the possibility of presence of an unholy nexus between administration and the political pressure blocks along with the chain of private coaching centres across the various states.”

Azmi’s exam is scheduled on 11 August. She said in her complaint: “Received the offer over phone (from No. 7449867389) yesterday evening and the caller, accompanied by a bunch of people offered a tariff that claimed Rs 90 lakh each for PG in general medicine, Surgery, Rs 60 lakh for gynaecology and dermatology, Rs 70 lakh for radiology.”