CBI arrests 3 for influencing government officials

The CBI on Tuesday said that it has arrested three persons for allegedly influencing government officials and using illegal means to get clearance for a medical college, under the government scanner, in Haryana's Jhajjar to admit students.

A senior Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said that the three accused were arrested on Saturday and produced in a court which remanded them to the agency's custody for five days till August 9.

They will be produced in the court on August 10.

The arrested accused were identified as Kunwar Nishant Singh, a resident of Vasant Kunj in south Delhi, Vaibhav Sharma and V.K. Sharma, both residents of Noida in Uttar Pradesh in connection with its ongoing probe into the FIR the agency registered to probe influencing public servants in lieu of huge illegal gratification over barring of medical colleges from admitting students.

The CBI registered the case against four persons on August 3. The fourth accused has been identified as Narendra Singh, a resident of Vasant Kunj and unknown officials of the Health Ministry.

In its FIR, the agency alleged that Narender and Nishant were allegedly in touch with the other two to use their contacts to get clearance for the medical college.

According to CBI, the world College of Medical Sciences and Research and Hospital in Jhajjar was one of the 46 colleges which was barred by the government from admitting students for one or two years because of sub-standard facilities and non-fulfilment of the required criteria.

The Supreme Court has directed the government to consider afresh the material on record after 23 colleges challenged the order, it said.

In its FIR, the CBI said: "Sources further informed that the above mentioned persons have been trying to get the orders of debarment overturned through the ministry and in this regard have been contacting various persons who have assured them of helping them in this regard in lieu of huge illegal gratification for the concerned unknown public servants."

The CBI in its FIR alleged that Vaibhav Sharma and V.K. Sharma claimed proximity with senior functionaries of the Health Ministry and gave an assurance to the college management for assistance in getting favourable orders.

"Huge illegal gratification has been demanded by them in this regard," it alleged.

--IANS

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