The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced the arrest of 13 individuals, including two of its own inspectors, in connection with a significant “nursing scam” in Madhya Pradesh, which is being investigated following a directive from the High Court.
Among those arrested are CBI inspectors Rahul Raj and Sushil Kumar Majoka, along with three alleged touts—Om Goswami, Ravi Bhadoria, and Jugal Kishore—and three women. All accused have been remanded to CBI custody until May 29.
The scam involves alleged irregularities in the operation of nursing colleges across the state. On May 18, Inspector Raj was caught accepting a bribe of Rs10 lakh from Anil Bhaskaran and his wife, Suma Anil. Following this, the CBI conducted searches at 31 locations in Bhopal, Indore, Ratlam, and Jaipur, recovering over Rs2.33 crore in cash, four gold bars, 36 digital devices, and more than 150 incriminating documents.
Sources indicate that the arrested inspectors were accepting bribes to provide favorable inspection reports for nursing colleges that were otherwise unsuited for operation. The CBI’s internal vigilance mechanism has since launched administrative action against the involved officials.
This investigation was prompted by a December 2022 directive from the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which instructed the CBI to inspect nursing colleges following petitions alleging that many were operating with inadequate infrastructure, often merely functioning as dispensaries.
So far, the CBI has inspected around 500 nursing colleges, identifying 65 that lack proper facilities or were found to be improperly run. These institutions have been barred from offering nursing courses, and the agency continues to investigate additional colleges.