Kerala: ED restores Rs 89L worth assets to those cheated in the name of medical seats

New Delhi. Feb 24 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Monday said it has restored assets worth more than Rs 89 lakh to six people who were allegedly cheated by the officials of a medical college in Kerala in lieu of granting admission to MBBS and PG courses.

The money laundering case stems from an FIR filed by the Kerala Police crime branch.

The accused, the federal agency said in a statement, collected money from parents/students on the pretext of securing admissions in MBBS/PG courses at Dr SM CSI Medical College in Karakonam in Thiruvananthapuram district while being aware of the fact that such admissions were discontinued after the introduction of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test or NEET.

The director of the college, Bennet Abraham, and the comptroller "collected" money from parents "in the guise of donations and advance fees" for admissions in MBBS/PG courses in their college, the ED alleged.

Subsequently, the Kerala High Court directed the admission supervisory committee for medical education in the state to conduct an inquiry into the allegations against the office-bearers of the medical college, it said.

The ED conducted searches in 2022 and attached properties worth Rs 95.25 lakh. It later filed a chargesheet before a court.

The agency said the victims of the case filed petitions before a special court for restitution of the properties as available under Section 8(8) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The special court allowed the plea in its order dated February 10.

The ED subsequently took initiative for restoration/restitution of the properties and the same have been successfully passed on to the affected persons, it said.

The Kochi zonal office has "successfully restituted" properties of Rs 89.75 lakh to six people who had paid to the accused persons on pretext of gaining admission in MBBS course in the said medical college, the probe agency said.

The agency is taking "proactive" steps to restitute the balance proceeds of crime to the other victims of the case once they also file their applications before the ED and the special court, it added. PTI NES ARI

Source: PTI