Sardar Rajas Cheating Case: Prime Accused Brought To Odisha From Tamil Nadu

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) brought A. Johnsel Raja, the prime accused in the Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital cheating case, to Odisha from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu on Friday.

He was the managing trustee of Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust, which was running the medical college at Jaring in Kalahandi district.

Raja had allegedly cheated medical aspirants to the tune of Rs 10 crore in the guise of giving admission to the medical college though it had lost recognition of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

He was earlier arrested by a special EOW team from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu on July 26. Though the Judicial Magistrate, Nagercoil, granted a transit remand, he had complained of illness and was subsequently admitted to Kanyakumari government hospital. He was later shifted to Rajaji Medical College and Hospital and discharged from the hospital on August 2.

He will be produced before the Junagarh JMFC court on Friday, EOW sources said.

In 2004, the Odisha government through Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) had signed a memorandum of understating (MoU) in 2004 with the trust to establish a medical college in the backward district of Kalahandi.

The government reportedly allotted 25 acres free of cost and Rs 20 crore for starting the college with 300-bed hospital with all facilities. However, the trust established the college only in 2013–2014 and admitted 100 students and 24 students the next year.

Raja had also obtained necessary permission from the MCI for admissions to MBBS seats for 2013-14 academic session using forged and fabricated documents. Since the college reportedly did not have mandatory infrastructure facilities and the staff, the MCI withdrew its permission for admitting students for 2015-2016.

However, the accused went head and collected huge amount from students as capitation fee in violation of the terms and conditions.

In September 2015, the Odisha government had lodged an FIR against Raja at Junagarh police station in Kalahandi district. The WODC lodged the complaint accusing him of violating the MOU, fraudulent documentation and playing with the future of hundreds of medical students. Earlier, the government had issued show-cause notices to it, but Raja allegedly did not reply.

With the fate of 124 students hanging in balance, the Orissa High Court had directed the state government get them admitted to two government medical colleges and three private medical colleges.