MCI boss, 2 others arrested for seeking bribe

NEW DELHI: Medical Council of India president Ketan Desai and two others were arrested by CBI for allegedly taking a Rs 2 crore bribe to grant recognition to a medical college in Punjab, an offence described as grave by a court.

Special CBI Judge O P Saini allowed the investigating agency to interrogate the three persons in custody for five days. He said the corruption charge, prima-facie, seemed grave and remanded them to police custody till April 28.

Desai was arrested here late last night after the CBI conducted searches at his office here following information that he along with Jitender Pal Singh, a suspected middleman, were allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs two crore to recognise a college in Punjab, CBI spokesperson Harsh Bahal said on Friday.

Bahal said Desai along with Jitender Pal Singh and another associate Dr Kanwaljit Singh of Gyan Sagar Medical College in Patiala in Punjab were arrested by CBI on corruption charges.

The spokesperson said the three persons were being interrogated and searches were going on at six other places in Delhi and outside.

The CBI laid a trap after receiving a complaint and caught Singh allegedly with Rs 2 crore, that was to be delivered to Desai.

It also conducted raids in Punjab, Delhi and Gujarat to trace Desai's other associates.

During the court proceedings, the CBI prosecutor sought seven days custodial remand of the three accused.

"The custodial interrogation of all the three accused is required to unravel the entire nexus of this case. The CBI wants to ascertain as to whether there are more persons and private medical colleges are involved in it," the prosecutor said.

The main objectives of the Medical Council include maintenance of uniform standards of medical education and recommendation for recognition/de-recognition of medical qualifications of medical institutions of India or foreign countries.