A special investigation team (SIT) of Dehradun police has arrested three more men in a case involving forged documents allegedly used to claim reserved MBBS seats in Uttarakhand, bringing the number of people held in the case to eight, according to reports published on 28 October.

Police said the three accused, residents of Muzaffarnagar, Haridwar and Bijnor, are fathers who allegedly obtained forged freedom-fighter dependent certificates, domicile (permanent residence) certificates and Aadhaar cards so that their daughters could compete for seats in the state's medical colleges through NEET UG counselling.

How the case surfaced

According to police, the problem was spotted when applications for freedom-fighter dependent certificates submitted through a government portal were found to carry forged supporting documents. Two FIRs were registered on 13 September at the Raipur and Clement Town police stations in Dehradun, and an SIT led by Superintendent of Police (Rural) Jaya Baluni took over the investigation.

Reports say one of the students secured admission to a government medical college in Haridwar using the documents, while another was allowed to take part in NEET counselling. Two of the newly arrested men allegedly paid Rs 25 lakh and Rs 30 lakh respectively for the paperwork.

Alleged role of an admissions consultant

Investigators allege that an education consultancy based in Meerut, whose operator was arrested earlier in the case, arranged commission-based admissions to medical, engineering and management courses and helped prepare the forged documents for parents seeking MBBS seats. Earlier arrests in September included an accused picked up from Bhopal, from whom police said cash was recovered.

SP Baluni said action would be taken under the rules against any further accused who come to light. All of those arrested are accused; none has been convicted, and the allegations have not been tested in court.

Why quota certificates matter

Reserved categories such as dependents of freedom fighters carry a small number of seats, which makes them attractive to forgers. Admission authorities can reduce the risk by checking each category certificate against the issuing district office's records, rather than relying on uploaded copies, and by re-verifying documents before a student is finally admitted.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

MBBS admissionReserved quotaForged certificatesUttarakhandNEET UG

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