MBBS Seats In Pakistan Being Sold In Kashmir: ED Tracks Down 6 Students In Connection

In the latest update about the ongoing investigation in connection with the scam concerning the "selling" of MBBS seats in Pakistan and PoK by some separatist leaders, the Enforcement Directorate has tracked down altogether six candidates who had been admitted to the medical institutes in Pakistan by paying money in Kashmir to someones who had made need arrangements in this regard.

ED officials said that dozens of students had degrees from medical colleges and other professional colleges in Pakistan in the last decade.

According to them, several of these candidates had paid money to the men having a close connection with the separatist leaders. They added, "Even some administrators in the government brought their families admitted in the Pakistani institutes on the recommendation letters of senior separatist leaders."

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The Counter Intelligence (Kashmir), a branch of the CID Department of J&K Police, had registered a case in July 2020 after acquiring information that many unscrupulous persons, including some Hurriyat Conference leaders, were in collaboration with some educational consultancies selling MBBS and other professional program seats in different colleges and institutes in Pakistan to Kashmiri candidates.

He had earlier announced that the investigation revealed that the money collected from the parents of the aspiring candidates was used to support and fund militancy and separatism in various ways. 

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Accordingly, a case was reported under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

An official of ED reported to PTI that the Directorate has recently conducted searches at ten places across four districts in the Kashmir valley as part of its ongoing inquiry against conspirators arranging admissions for money in various courses, including MBBS in Pakistan, to fund terror activities.

The ED's Srinagar Zonal office searched recently under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) provisions at 10 locations in Srinagar, Budgam, Kupwara and Anantnag districts, the official said.

He said the raids were conducted concerning an investigation relating to the involvement of conspirators who were hand-in-glove with some educational consultancies and manipulating or arranging admission of J-K candidates in various professional programs, including MBBS in Pakistan-based academies and universities.

In May last year, a special NIA court had issued orders against 8 persons, including captured Hurriyat leader Mohammad Akbar Bhat alias "Zaffar Bhat," for selling Pakistani MBBS seats in J&K to fund terror movements. The case changed against the "unscrupulous persons" by the (SIA) State Investigation Agency on July 27, 2020.

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The official said the ED initiated a probe based on the FIR registered under various sections of the UA(P) Act and the Indian Penal Code and a chargesheet filed by counterintelligence Kashmir, Srinagar, against various accused, including Bhat, Fatima Shah, Sabzar Ahmad Sheikh, Altaf Ahmad Bhat, Qazi Yasir, Mohd Abdullah Shah, Manzoor Ahmad Shah, Mohd Iqbal Mir and Syed Khalid Geelani alias Khalid Andrabi, for their involvement in accumulating funds for terror movements on the pretext of admission of J-K candidates in various professional programs in Pakistan-based institutions.

"PMLA investigation has also revealed that these admissions are often part of the Technical Assistance Programme (TAP) and are offered to foreign candidates either free or at nominal costs annually.

"However, hefty costs were being levied on the candidates and the extra money so gained was ploughed into supporting terrorism in myriad ways on the instructions of Pakistan-based handlers as well as those sitting in Jammu and Kashmir," the official said.

As of now, the official said proceeds of crime to the tune of about Rs 1 crore have been determined, and 6 people have been identified who had been admitted to different institutions in Pakistan by such elements.

"During the program of search operations, documents connected to immovable properties and admirably incriminating material, which include digital gadgets related to the fraud, have been rescued and seized," the administrator said, adding additional research in progress.

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