The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has moved Session Judge Court, Khurda, Odisha, for conviction and confiscation of assets worth Rs 46 lakh of four people who duped several students with a false promise to provide MBBS seats in different medical colleges in the state under the management quota.

The ED in a press release said it has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA) against Raghunath Behera, his brother Bharat Behera, and Somyakant Mohanty and his wife Biswakalpana Mohanty. “The court took cognizance of the prosecution complaint on August 9,” it said.

The ED initiated an investigation under the PMLA on the basis of FIR and chargesheet filed by the CID, Crime Branch, Odisha, under various sections of IPC against Raghunath, Soumyakanta and others in connection with duping a number of gullible students of Odisha and beyond with a false promise to provide MBBS seats in different medical colleges. “There were various other FIRs registered and chargesheets filed by different police stations in Odisha against accused persons and their accomplices in similar matters,” it said.

As per the modus operandi, the accused allegedly blocked management seats in different medical colleges in the state using various channels. Later, they duped the parents and the aspiring candidates by taking money from them with the promise of giving them MBBS seats under the management quota. After giving the money, the parents realised that they had been cheated, said officials.

Leading medical colleges continue to maintain that they should directly be in touch with their officials and not make any contact with any middleman regarding admissions.