Union minister of state for information and broadcasting S. Jagathrakshakan’s Sri Balaji Medical College and Hospital has come under the CBI scanner, with the bureau set to investigate the institution in conjunction with its probe into the capitation fee scam in medical colleges across the country.
The state government has given the go-ahead to the CBI probe even though the millionaire MP from Arakkonam is a member of the DMK. The minister owns the college and is also its chairman.
Giving its consent to a CBI investigation into the admission process and alleged collection of capitation fee at Sri Balaji, the government in a recent order asked the premier investigation agency to probe a case in this connection (crime number 290/2009) registered at the Chromepet police station against two employees of the college.
The order asks the CBI to investigate the case registered under section 420 of the IPC against college maintenance supervisor T.A. Johnson and ladies hostel deputy warden V. Lakshmi. Sources said the two employees were set up by the college administrators.
CBI officials said the agency had sought consent from the state government to probe the case alongside its investigation into the capitation fee issue and other irregularities in the functioning of the now dissolved Medical Council of India.
A team from Delhi will probe the case, a CBI official in Chennai said.
The case registered at the Chromepet police station charges the two employees with collecting capitation fee from students without the knowledge of the college management.
The two employees had allegedly demanded Rs 14 lakh for an MBBS seat.
“When the capitation fee scam was exposed, college officials lodged a complaint against the two accused with the Chromepet police. The officials claimed that the college had nothing to do with the action of the accused,” a police officer said.
Though the government has given consent to the probe, one of the two accused is reportedly trying to stop the CBI probe, saying the state police had already completed its investigation.