Medical college scam: Vigilance sends notice to M. T. Ramesh

Thiruvananthapuram: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has sent a notice to BJP general secretary M. T. Ramesh in connection with the preliminary inquiry into the Rs 5.6-crore medical college recognition scam.

Ramesh has been asked to appear before the investigators on October 31.

BJP president Amit Shah had ordered an internal probe after chairman of SR Educational and Charitable Trust, R Shaji, complained that party leaders received Rs 5.60 crore from him for getting an approval from the Medical Council of India(MCI) for a medical college in Varkala. The news however, was leaked to the media, putting the State unit of the party in trouble. The report had the names of MT Ramesh and RS Vinod, Convenor of the BJP’s Co-Operative Cell in the state.

The Vigilance Director ordered a probe into the corruption allegations in July.

As the BJP’s State unit came under a cloud, it expelled Vinod from the primary membership.

Ramesh, whose name also figured in the media reports, had dismissed allegations against him as "baseless".

"I have no role in it," he had told reporters, asserting that his innocence would be proved.

He said no one had offered money for MCI recognition to any private medical college management. Ramesh also said he had never met owners of the medical college.

He, however, admitted that some persons from a medical college in Palakkad district had met him around one-and-a-half months ago asking whether he could help in getting approval.

Ramesh said he had told them it was not a matter which he would be able to deal with.

Ramesh also maintained that he had not seen the probe report.