Corruption through DCI

 Scam to the tune of Rs. 450 Crores

 CHENNAI: A dental surgeon, who is a member of the Dental Council of India, and three others were arrested by the CBI for taking a bribe of Rs 25 lakh from a self-financing medical college on Tuesday.

CBI officers said the college had paid the surgeon to get the council's permission to start post-graduate dental courses this year. The other arrested include an administrative officer of the college that had sought permission, a former AIADMK legislator and a mediator.

The officers said the management of Adi Parasakthi Dental College in Melmaruvathur had given Rs 25 lakh to Dr S Murukesan at his clinic, Cranio Facial Clinic, on Llyods Road in Royapettah in the heart of the city to start MDS courses. On Tuesday, the CBI officers raided his clinic and seized Rs 25 lakh cash.

"During inquiry he confessed that the money was given to him by officials of Adhi Parasakthi Dental College to get approval for MDS," a senior officer said.

The Dental Council of India is the regulatory authority for dental education in the country.

The Melmaruvathur college admits 100 students for the BDS course. Dr S Murukesan, who is also the dean (in-charge) of SRM Dental College, was nominated to the Dental Council of India by the Annamalai University, Chidambaram.

The CBI also arrested Adi Parasakthi Dental College administrative officer K Ramabadhran, former AIADMK MLA of Arcot constituency T Palani and a mediator, R Karunanidhi of Chromepet. They were produced before the CBI court in Egmore and remanded in judicial custody for 15 days. The CBI slapped a corruption case against Adhi Parasakthi Dental College managing director S Srilekha.

It's not the first time Dr Murukesan has faced corruption charges. The Dental Council of India has put him under the scanner after it received a complaint from a senate member of the state medical university in September last year. The council received a letter from Dr Yashwanth Venkaraman, a senate member of the TN Dr MGR Medical University, stating that Dr Murukesan and another dentist had demanded Rs 450 crore from 16 dental colleges to circumvent the common entrance examination proposed by the Centre.

Two months later, Dental Council of India secretary Dr SK Ojha wrote to the 16 colleges asking them for a report on the complaint. "Only three colleges replied. We are still inquiring into the complaint," Ojha told TOI. There were also cases filed against Dr Murukesan's nomination from the Annamalai University, he said.

Chennai Dental Research Foundation

Dr. Gunaseelan and Dr. Mazumder

Links:

http://chennaidentalresearch.com/more_details.php?id1=120

http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/30/stories/2011053056450600.htm





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