Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital. Telegraph picture

The health department has sought biometric and forensic details of students of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 batches of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur, to find out if there was any fake admission.

Students enrolled in the two batches have come under scanner following fake admission cases that cropped up recently in the institute.

The admission control board of the state health department has initiated the forensic scrutiny to tighten the noose around those students, who had taken admission after allegedly submitting forged documents and tampering with their education certificates.

The board has decided to collect fingerprints, signatures, photographs and handwriting samples of the students for the scrutiny.

Once these forensic samples are collected, the board would then conduct an in-depth forensic examination of the details.

It is suspected that over 25 medical students have taken admission to the institute by resorting to fraudulent means.

In September 2011, the SKMCH authorities found two students of the 2009-10 batch, who had provided fake documents while seeking admission to the college. They were arrested in the same year and sent to jail.

Thereafter, the board cancelled their admission and initiated an investigation to find out if there were any other such cases.

About 10 students of the 2009-10 and 2010-11 batches are absconding since the board sought the biometric details.

SKMCH authorities had written several letters to the absconding students to attend classes and appear for the final examinations, sources said.

The SKMCH authorities had also warned the students that their admission could be cancelled if they failed to return to the institute.

The sources added that not a single student has returned despite the order. “This raised further suspicion that the absconding students had got admission by providing fake and tampered documents,” said D.K. Sinha, the principal of SKMCH.

In January 2012, the SKMCH authorities recommended the state government to cancel the admission of the 10 absconding students. The state government later cancelled the admissions.

Now, the board is keen on finding the other students who had allegedly taken admission during that phase and is still studying in the institute. Sinha said: “All the students of these batches have to complete the necessary formalities by March 21 else the board might cancel their admissions.”