ED raids multiple locations in West Bengal over NRI quota medical admission scam

Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple locations in West Bengal in connection with irregularities in the medical admissions in the state under the non-resident Indian (NRI) quota. The irregularities in medical admissions come after a major recruitment scam in Bengal in 2022, where former Education Minister Partha Chatterjee and his close aide were arrested.

The raids and search operations were conducted in multiple locations in the state. ED reportedly started the investigation based on a complaint filed in the Electronic Complex Police Station under Bidhannagar City Police, sources said.

Simultaneous raid and search operations were undertaken by the central agency in Saltlake, East Midnapore’s Haldia, West Burdwan’s Durgapur, South Parganas district’s Budge Budge and Birbhum. In Haldia, the raids and search operations were conducted at former CPI-M Lok Sabha MP and heavyweight leader from Tamluk Lakshman Seth’s residence. Seth runs an NGO operating private engineering, medical and dental colleges at Haldia.


Irregularities worth crores in connection with medical admissions had reportedly occurred in some private medical colleges operating from the state, people in the know said. Altogether eight private medical colleges operating in Bengal were under the ED scanner.

The irregularities in medical admissions in September by Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari alleged that many such admissions involved the production of fake certificates against hefty cash transactions. He also accused some senior officials attached to the State Health Department of had involvement in the admission irregularities.

Adhikari said today, “ED is raiding in 20 locations today. A huge medical scam in NRI quota from 2017 took place in Bengal and there has been huge loot. Indian government’s NRI quota seats have been sold. DME and health secretaries from 2017 from Rajiva Sinha to Narayan Swarup Nigam should start packing their bags now to spend the new year in jail.”