Patna: For Dr Ranjit Singh, the alleged kingpin of the gang involved in the Common Admission Test (CAT) question paper leak, charity began at home.

Ranjit not only acquired an MBBS degree for himself, but also managed medical degrees for a large number of his kin and well-wishers.

The medical graduate of the 2000 batch of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) secured admission of his younger brother Shravan Azad in Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in 1995, who passed MBBS exam in 2001, according to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources

Ranjit's sister Sulochana was admitted to PMCH in 1997 and he is alleged to have secured admission of Birendra Singh, the younger brother of his brother-in-law Nagendra Singh in Patna Dental College in 2001.

Dr Manoj Kumar, who was arrested along with Ranjit while leaking question paper of CAT test by the CBI and was his batch-mate in DMCH, revealed to the investigative agency that his younger brother Deepak Kumar was admitted to King George Medical College, Lucknow, in 1997. Manoj's younger sister Ranju Kumari is a student of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College, Jamshedpur.

The Bihar director general of police, D P Ojha, in his capacity as the additional director general (vigilance) had through a letter dated February 23, 1999, suggested to the then vigilance commissioner and chief secretary, a CBI probe into medical colleges of the State.

The vigilance commissioner and chief secretary agreed to the suggestion of Ojha and wrote a letter to Chief Minister Rabri Devi on March 16, 1999, following which Rabri Devi on March 25 recommended handing over the probe to the CBI keeping in view the extensive scale on which an alleged racket was going on.

Ojha, when contacted by PTI about why the CBI did not take up the case, said the investigative agency pleaded preoccupation with an overwhelmingly large number of cases on its hands as an excuse.

In his letter, a copy of which is in the possession of PTI, Ojha said the mafia involved in securing admissions in MBBS and post graduate medical courses had close association with eminent doctors and other powerful persons.

Nearly 60 per cent seats in MBBS and PG courses are sold off for monetary consideration, which ranges from Rs five to 10 lakh and five per cent of seats are offered to the wards of people in high position free of cost, the letter said.

It said the gang also took contracts involving Rs five to seven lakh to enable weak medical students pass MBBS examination after they had secured admission and charged upto Rs 10 lakh for admission to PG courses in important streams like medicine and orthopaedics.

A very organised network exists in all medical colleges and health and medical education department, which assists the mafia in its nefarious undertaking, the letter said elaborating on the modus operandi of the racket.

PTI