A racket involving thousands of fake Non-Resident Indian (NRI) documents used to secure MBBS admissions has been unearthed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), exposing a large-scale manipulation of India’s medical education system.
According to investigators, private medical colleges in West Bengal and Odisha allegedly facilitated nearly 18,000 admissions under the NRI quota using forged papers. The ED said the scam operated with the active collusion of admission agents, college managements, and even some genuine NRIs who allowed their names to be misused in exchange for money.
The probe, carried out with the assistance of the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions abroad, revealed that agents prepared false documents such as embassy certificates, family trees, and notary stamps. “In most cases, the same set of documents was used for multiple candidates,” the agency said.
Raids on several colleges led to the seizure of fake NRI certificates, embassy stamps, and other incriminating evidence. The ED noted that while rules mandate that NRI relatives pay the admission fee for such candidates, in most cases payments were routed directly by agents or colleges, bypassing genuine family sponsors.
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Despite “categorical” warnings of forgery by the MEA, authorities in West Bengal and Odisha allegedly failed to act, allowing ineligible candidates to secure seats. A fixed deposit worth ₹6.42 crore belonging to a West Bengal college has now been provisionally attached, in addition to assets worth ₹12.33 crore already frozen earlier.
The agency said, “Despite categorical information of forgery in cases of certain NRI sponsors provided by the Ministry of External Affairs, no action has been taken by concerned state authorities.”
Indian consulates abroad also confirmed that several NRI sponsor certificates submitted to medical colleges were “not genuine”.
While the investigation is ongoing, the ED clarified that no arrests have been made so far.
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