PGMET: It’s Rs 80-cr scam

• Two brokers from Hyderabad and some students nabbed
• 10 more brokers are said to be at large
• They got the paper leaked from a printer at Bengaluru
• Over 150 students who got the paper secured top ranks in exam
• Each has been charged `70 lakh to `2 crore

Hyderabad: The PG Medical Entrance Test (PGMET) question paper leakage scam that rocked the NTR University of Health Sciences has attained monumental proportions. It is said that over Rs 80 crore changed hands between beneficiaries and scamsters. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probing into the scam at the behest of Governor E S L Narasimhan achieved a major breakthrough with the arrest of five students who bought the question papers, paying hefty sums raging from Rs 70 lakhs to Rs 2 crore each on Saturday. Two brokers of a syndicate that was instrumental in the leakage of the paper were also nabbed.

Additional DG (CID) T Krishnaprasad informed that the leakage was the handiwork of Srinagar Colony (Hyderabad)-based Virgin Consultancy and a 12-member syndicate with access to key persons in the university and a rich clientele of aspirants. Stating that as many as 15 teams engaged in the investigation have been deputed to different cities including Vijayawada, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata and Gurgaon. They are on the lookout for others accused at large.

The two accused arrested by the CID are identified as K Munishwar Reddy and Sainath. Munishwar Reddy, a native of Raichoti in Kadapa district, started a consultancy centre at Ameerpet in 2006. He later shifted his office to Shangri-La Plaza on Road No. 2, Banjara Hills. Sainath is a city-based businessman. He started a consultancy office in 2005. The aspirants were provided with the leaked papers along with the key at his place.

The accused have provided very vital information to the investigating agency. Besides indicating the involvement of an official of the university in the paper leakage, they disclosed that over 150 students aspiring for the PG medical seats were benefited by the leakage.

"Slackness and nexus on part of the university officials could be well gauged from the fact that the authorities asked a private printing press at Bengaluru to get the papers printed and send it back to AP.” The press is said to be within the reach of the syndicate of brokers.

The scamsters leaked the question paper to the aspirants after charging huge amounts ranging from Rs 70 lakh to Rs 2 crore each. Radiology paper was sold at Rs 1.5 crore while paediatric at Rs 70 lakh. The brokers would take Rs 10 lakh as advance and would ask for the remaining after the entrance examination. For security purpose, the students were asked to deposit all their original certificates, said the CID chief.

On the modus operandi of the brokers involved in the scam, Krishna Prasad said that the students were put in hotels such as the Imperial Heights and Chauhan Residency in Gurgaon where they were provided with the leaked question paper along with its key.

They were asked to memorise and go through the paper for about a couple of hours for about three days at a stretch.

In this process, they were not allowed to leave the hotel premises or make phone calls. Meals were provided in the rooms. After returning to the examination centre, the same papers were given on the examination date.

The students who got benefited with the leakage secured Rank 2, 3, 12, 16, 25, 28, 45 and so on.

A case was registered against them under Section 420 (Cheating) and 120 B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and Section 3 and 5 of the AP Public Examinations (Prevention of malpractice and unfair means) Act, 1997.