The Madhya Pradesh High Court has mandated a fresh investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into 169 nursing colleges previously found to be eligible, in the presence of a judicial magistrate. The directive was issued by a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Dwivedi and A.K Paliwal who also ordered that the inquiry be documented through videography and photography, with the college principals mandatorily present.
This development arises from a petition filed by the Law Student Association challenging the legitimacy of certain nursing colleges. The High Court had previously scrutinized 364 nursing colleges in the state, resulting in the Supreme Court staying the investigation of 56 colleges. The CBI had initially examined 308 colleges, declaring 169 as eligible, identifying 74 that could be improved, and 65 as ineligible.
The petitioner has expressed concerns over the reliability of the CBI’s initial report, citing corruption charges against the officers involved in the original investigations. The CBI officials in question have since been arrested following an FIR lodged by CBI Delhi, which was presented in court along with the application.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s advocate, Alok Bagarecha, argued that the state of affairs necessitates a distrust in the CBI’s report. Subsequent to these arguments, the bench scheduled the next hearing for July 15.
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Ravi Parmar, speaking on behalf of the community, pointed out that the Madhya Pradesh government had ordered the sealing of 66 colleges found ineligible by the CBI, confirming long-standing complaints about fraudulent practices within the state’s nursing colleges. Parmar has also called for immediate action against the officials who accredited these fraudulent institutions and has sought an appointment with Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav to discuss further irregularities in the operation of other colleges.
