Inspection Bribery Case: ED raids medical colleges in 10 states

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at 15 locations across Delhi and nine other states in connection with a case of bribery involving several government officials -- a few linked to the National Medical Commission (NMC) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 

The raids are underway under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at 15 locations in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi as part of the agency's probe initiated based on June 30, 2025, First Information Report (FIR) registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The FIR alleges that bribes were paid to government officials, including those from the National Medical Commission (NMC), in exchange for confidential information regarding inspections of medical colleges.

The investigation alleges that confidential inspection details were disclosed to key managerial personnel of various medical colleges and to intermediaries. This information reportedly enabled the accused to manipulate inspection parameters and subsequently obtain approval to run academic courses at the implicated medical colleges.

The alleged scheme highlights systemic vulnerabilities in the process of granting approvals to educational institutions, raising concerns about the integrity of regulatory oversight and the potential impact on the quality of medical education in the country.

The search operations cover seven premises related to medical colleges located in many states. In addition, raids are being conducted on the premises of several private individuals named as accused in the CBI FIR. Officials stated that these individuals played key roles in facilitating the alleged bribery transactions.