Patna, Nov. 30: The examination wing of the state health department has recently written letters to the principals of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital, Bhagalpur, and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) medical college in the capital to identify two fake medical students and cancel their admission.

The instructions have been issued based on complaints of Santosh Kumar from Samastipur who has alleged that two students managed to take admission in the colleges after somebody else appeared in the entrance test and counselling on their behalf by forging admit cards and other certificates.

The order, undersigned by Dr N.P. Yadav, the controller of examinations, stated that at least two students have been able to get admissions in the colleges after others sat for the Bihar Combined Entrance Competitive Examination (BCECE) on their behalf and even appeared in their counselling. In the letter, the complainant has accused that “the students who have been able to take admission like this are those who have done it in collusion with few officials and employees of the admission departments of the respective medical colleges.”

The complainant has also suggested in the letter that as incidents like this have led to cancellation of admission of fake students and seats remain vacant after that, the certificates and photographs should be verified immediately after counselling to avoid wastage of seats in medical colleges. A few weeks back, a similar complaint was received about two students at the newly opened IGIMS medical college after which the college administration had formed a committee to examine the case. After the charges were found to be true prima facie, the matter was referred to BCECE Board for further action.

Yadav said: “I have asked the principals of both the colleges to probe the matter. After the results of the probe are submitted to the BCECE, they would take necessary action.”

Sources said mostly it is medical students in institutions like Patna Medical College and Hospital who impersonate as others in medical entrance examinations after taking huge sums of money. “Dummy candidates” as they are mostly called, are arranged by racketeers through a network of coaching centres in the state capital. These impostors are paid between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for appearing in the exam on behalf of others. The racketeers also manage the sitting arrangements at examination centres and procure fake identity cards with the help of photography studios in the city.

“Several medical coaching centres in the city help racketeers by arranging dummy candidates. The racketeers contact people running the coaching centres, who arrange for the medicos to take the exam,” said a source. He added that the racketeers charged aspirants between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, depending on the background of the candidates.