Selling Of MBBS Seats In Pakistan To Kashmiri Candidates, ED Raids 3 Places In Connection

In connection with the "selling" of MBBS seats in Pakistan to Kashmiri students, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at three places, including at the houses of Hurriyat leaders.

Officials informed PTI that the raids were conducted at the houses of Qazi Yasir in Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement chairman Zaffar Bhat in Bagh-e-Mehtab area in Srinagar, and Mohammad Iqbal Khwaja in the Mattan area of Anantnag.

The officials said the personnel from the Central probe agency, along with the Jammu and Kashmir police, conducted simultaneous raids at the 3 locations.

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The raids are being carried out concerning the case related to the "selling" of MBBS seats in Pakistan to Kashmiri candidates and using the money to help and fund terrorism, they said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police had arrested four separatist leaders for 'selling' MBBS seats in Pakistan to Kashmiri students and using the money to fund militancy. Among those four arrested, Mohammed Akbar Bhar alias Zafar Bhat, the chairman of the salvation movement, was also included. Apart from Bhat, Fatima Shah, Mohammed Abdullah Shah, and Shabzar Ahmed Sheikh were also arrested.

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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 receiving information that several unscrupulous persons, including some Hurriyat Conference leaders, were in collusion with some educational consultancies selling MBBS. And other professional program seats in different colleges and universities in Pakistan for Kashmiri students.

He had earlier informed that the investigation revealed that the money collected from the parents of the aspiring students was used to support and fund militancy and separatism in different ways. Accordingly, a case was registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The spokesperson had said that during further investigation, it surfaced that many MBBS and other professional degree seats were given to those students who were close family members or relatives of killed militants. "It was also revealed that quota allotted to individual Hurriyat Conference leaders was sold to desperate parents, who wanted their children to get MBBS and other professional degrees," he had mentioned.

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Later, the Special Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police filed its charge sheet against nine people in this connection. During the investigation, oral, documentary and technical evidence were collected. In analysis, it surfaced that MBBS and other professional degree-related seats were preferentially given to those students who were close family members or relatives of killed terrorists.

Evidence also came on record to show that money had been put into channels that ended up supporting programs and projects about terrorism and separatism, which included the unrest after the killing of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror group, in 2016. The money was also used in failed efforts to disrupt peace after abrogating the erstwhile state's special status in August 2019.

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Meanwhile, NMC warned medical and dental aspirants against admission to MBBS/BDS courses in Pakistan. Issuing a public notice on April 28, 2022, NMC, the apex medical regulator in India, mentioned that the MBBS/BDS graduates from Pakistan will not be eligible to appear in the FMGE screening test and practice in India.

The NMC public notice dated April 28 read, "All concerned are advised not to travel to Pakistan for pursuing Medical Education. Any Indian national/Overseas Citizen of India who intends to take admission in MBBS/BDS or equivalent medical course in any medical college of Pakistan shall not be eligible for appearing in FMGE or seeking employment in India on the basis of educational qualifications (in any subject) acquired in Pakistan except those who had joined Pakistan degree colleges/institutions before December 2018 or later after obtaining Security Clearance from MHS till date."

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