In a shocking development, several CBI officials have been implicated in a bribery scandal related to the ongoing investigation into the nursing college scam in Madhya Pradesh. The scandal has far-reaching consequences, as it affects over 1 lakh students enrolled in 370 nursing colleges across the state. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Inspector Rahul Raj, and several other officials are under investigation for their involvement in manipulating college inspection reports.
The scam, which is now considered the second-largest corruption case after the infamous Vyapam scam, was exposed following the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order for a comprehensive investigation into nursing colleges in the state. In October 2022, the CBI launched an inquiry into allegations that numerous nursing colleges had bypassed mandatory requirements for accreditation. Many of these colleges managed to secure approval by bribing inspectors, middlemen, and even CBI officers.
The investigation found that Rahul Raj, a senior CBI inspector, had been involved in accepting bribes ranging from Rs2 lakh to Rs10 lakh in exchange for submitting favorable inspection reports for nursing colleges that were deemed unsuitable. He was dismissed from his position, and further inquiries are ongoing into the involvement of other CBI personnel.
Further investigation revealed a bribery network involving middlemen and nursing college owners, where substantial sums of money were exchanged to ensure the approval of substandard colleges. One report revealed that Rs15 lakh was delivered to an Indore businessman on May 8, 2024, and an additional Rs16 lakh was transferred two days later. Some of the funds were used to purchase gold in Ratlam.
The CBI has now identified 23 people in the bribery-related FIR. The investigation has drawn attention to the fact that some colleges, previously deemed “suitable” by CBI officials, may have been approved through corrupt means. Top CBI officials are now pushing for a re-investigation into all the nursing colleges to clear any doubts regarding their accreditation.
