Ranchi, Nov. 2: In what is being seen as a damage control exercise, the Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (JCECEB), which prepares the MBBS merit list, has lodged an FIR against six students, earlier declared successful.

The exam board’s move comes after the state vigilance department constituted three independent teams to look into the allegation of admission to three medical colleges using dishonest means, including dummy candidates for tests.

Health minister Bhanu Pratap Shahi said though he was yet to get details on the FIR — lodged by JCECEB deputy examination controller R.K. Singh — he would see to it that the vigilance probe was not affected.

Defending the JCECEB action, member secretary Arun Kumar said they had the right to lodge the FIR because it was the board that had cancelled admissions of candidates found using dishonest ways to secure admission.

“In fact, the FIR should have been lodged by the authorities of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi and Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital (MGM), Jamshedpur. Some of the students have got themselves admitted in both the institutions while three withdrew after the news of dummy candidates was flashed in newspapers. Since the colleges failed to file a complaint, we took the initiative,” Kumar said.

It is learnt that the RIMS had initially refused to part with admission files saying that the health minister had ordered for a vigilance probe. JCECEB officials claimed they had in their possession copies of the files that helped them verify the authenticity of candidates.

Sources said the FIR named four — Anamika, Ravi Kumar Oraon, Dolly Anjali Sanga and Upendra Ram Paswan — who had qualified for admission at RIMS. Charan Oraon and Prashant, also named in the complaint, had qualified for admission at MGM. The JCECEB has also given the police photographs of dummy candidates.

A top board official even hinted the role of some college employees in the fake admission process. He said the dummy candidates played their part right from filling up of application forms to counselling sessions. It was only after the classes began that the original candidates surfaced.

Talking to The Telegraph, director-general, vigilance, Neyaz Ahmad said that the department had begun a probe. “We will verify documents in the possession of medical colleges and JCECEB. If the FIR lodged by the board has merit, we will also quiz those it has named,” he said.