By Express News Service
BHAWANIPATNA/BHUBANESWAR : The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Crime Branch on Friday night brought A Johnsel Raja, the prime accused in the Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital cheating case, on transit remand from Tamil Nadu.Raja was the Managing Trustee of Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust which was running the medical college and hospital at Jaring in Kalahandi district.
He was arrested from Nagercoil on July 26 and brought on transit remand to Odisha after he was produced before Nagercoil Judicial Magistrate.
Soon after, Raja complained of illness and was admitted at Kanyakumari Government Medical College and Hospital and later shifted to Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on July 31. He was discharged on August 2 and immediately brought on remand, said an EOW officer said. “He was produced before JMFC court at Junagarh on Friday night,” the EOW officer added.The Trust had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Western Odisha Development Council in 2004 for setting up a medical college in Jaring. As per the MoU, the Council provided `10 crore and 25 acres Government land for setting up Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital.
But, the Trust failed to complete the infrastructural work that was one of the pre-requisites for making the MCH operational.Raja had also obtained permission from Medical Council of India (MCI) for admissions to MBBS courses for 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic sessions. For the purpose, he had allegedly submitted forged documents which the MCI detected during a survey and denied permission for admission for the 2015-16 academic session.
“Despite MCI’s denial, Raja had collected huge amount of money from several aspiring medical students as capitation fee in violation of the terms and conditions,” an EOW officer said. Sources said Raja had also collected caution money from nearly 124 students but the college was closed mid-session, leaving the students at a loss.
