The Medical Education Department in Uttarakhand has annulled the MBBS admissions of four female students after finding they used fraudulent papers under the Freedom Fighter Dependent Quota. FIRs have been registered against the accused students and their families.

The Medical Education Department in Uttarakhand has taken swift and stringent action against a major admission scam involving candidates who used fraudulent credentials to secure medical seats. Speaking to ANI about the crackdown in Dehradun on Thursday, Director of Medical Education Ashutosh Sayana confirmed that the MBBS admissions of four female students have been officially annulled after they were found to have submitted fraudulent papers under the Freedom Fighter Dependent Quota.

"... In Uttarakhand, NEET counselling is conducted entirely online and in a transparent manner. Candidates’ merit and results are displayed on the official website. Five candidates were identified as having suspicious certificates. The matter was immediately referred to the relevant district authorities, and the certificates were cancelled,” Ashutosh Sayana said.

FIRs registered against accused students and families

Taking a serious view of the breach, Formal First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered against the accused students and their family members at the Clement Town and Raipur police stations in Dehradun Sayana said, “In the serious case, FIRs have also been registered against the accused students and their family members at Clement Town and Raipur police stations in Dehradun under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 318(4), 338 and 340, pertaining to cheating and forgery of documents.”

Providing context on the timing of the crackdown, Sayana noted that the second round of counselling is underway and the academic session has not yet commenced, meaning the students had not yet begun their classes. “The second round of counselling is currently underway, and the academic session has not yet started, so the students have not begun their studies. At the college level, certificates are physically verified at the time of admission.”

Future verifications to be more stringent

Uttarakhand Medical Education Director stated that certificates submitted by candidates who have benefited from Uttarakhand’s NEET counselling will be physically sent to the issuing authorities. “Going forward, certificates submitted by candidates who have benefited from Uttarakhand’s NEET counselling, whether based on domicile or any other category, will be physically sent to the issuing authorities for verification,” Ashutosh Sayana said. (ANI)

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