CBI busts admission racket under foreigner quota

Nishi Kant, the alleged mastermind of the scam and a resident of Hisar in Haryana, was arrested today, an official spokesman of the agency said here. The probe agency registered a case against the students who were admitted to Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh on the basis of alleged fake and forged documents.

The CBI alleged that these students secured their admissions under the scheme of Direct Admissions of Students Abroad (DASA). The HRD Ministry has entrusted the task of coordination and financing of admissions under DASA to NIT, Surathkal (Karnataka).

Under the DASA Scheme, the foreign nationals, persons of Indian origin and Indian nationals studying abroad are eligible for admissions. The students have to appear in scholastic aptitude test–II (SAT-II), besides having other academic qualifications.

The 11 students against whom the case has been registered had allegedly obtained admissions on the basis of forged Nepalese identity cards. The students, including five girls, belong to different districts of Punjab and Haryana.

The CBI alleged that Kant was behind this organised crime and had managed the admissions on the basis of forged documents by charging Rs 10-15 lakh from each student. Searches were conducted at his residence during which some documents were seized. Documents relating to case have also been seized from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, the spokesman said.