CBI books Medical Council officials

The CBI Wednesday booked three Medical Council of India (MCI) officials who in 2012 unauthorisedly allotted post-graduate seats to a Kerala-based medical college.

The then additional secretary, deputy secretary and assistant secretary of MCI, along with the principal of the private medical college at Thiruvananthapuram, were booked for criminal conspiracy, cheating and under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

"It was alleged that the old pending application of the medical college seeking PG seats was dealt and processed unauthorisedly in MCI and letter of permission issued after the last date (March 13, 2012)," a CBI statement said.

"The deficiencies pointed out by the assessors in their inspection report in 2011 still prevailed in the medical college and machines which were to be installed before sending the compliance to MCI were actually installed after that date," the statement said.

"Undue favours were allegedly shown to the college on the part of the officials of MCI by ignoring the relevant regulations and permissions were granted resulting in pecuniary benefits to the college," said a CBI official.

The official further said that the principal of the college in collusion with MCI officials allegedly submitted false information for the purpose of getting the required permission and hence cheated MCI.

The probe agency conducted raids at the residential as well as office premises of the accused persons which led to recovery of incriminating documents.