Dental Council member caught taking bribe from college staff, both arrested

IBN TAMIL NADU, Updated Jan 08, 2013 at 04:10pm IST

Dr. S. Murukesan, Member, DCI arrested

A member of the Dental Council of India (DCI) was arrested on Tuesday by anti-corruption bureau of the Central Bureau of Investigation for accepting bribe for granting approval to start a post-graduate dental course by a private college in Tamil Nadu. 

Dr S Murukeshan, member, Dental Council of India (an apex body, which controls the dental education in the country) representing Tamil Nadu, was caught red-handed by CBI sleuths while accepting `25 lakh bribe in cash from a representative of Adhiparasakthi Dental College and Hospital near Chennai. The CBI team arrested Dr Murukeshan, K Ramabhadran (the college employee), R Karunanidhi and T Palani (a former MLA) from the private dental clinic owned by Dr Murukeshan in a Chennai suburb.

Interestingly, the arrest comes within weeks after The Pioneer published a report on massive corruption in the country’s medical education system. Dr G Viswanathan, chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology, had told this correspondent that those in power charge `50 crore to issue a No Objection Certificate for a medical college. “There are educationists and medical professionals waiting to start hundreds of medical colleges in the country. But the level of corruption is keeping them away,” he had claimed.

According to a release by the Chennai wing of the CBI, the management of Adhiparasakthi Dental College and Hospital had approached the Dental Council of India for permission to start post graduate course in the college. The DCI representatives conducted an inspection of the campus last October and found certain deficiencies. They asked the college principal to comply with the deficiencies to get the permission for the post-graduate course.

“The management of Adhiparasakthi Dental College deputed K Ramabadran, Administrative Officer to approach Dr Murukesan, for getting approval from Dental Council of India, New Delhi for the PG course. Murukesan had demanded `1 crore for taking up the matter and getting DCI approval. It was also learnt that Ramabadran, on behalf of the management had bargained with Murukesan and settled the amount. Murukesan agreed on a sum of `25 lakh be paid as advance on January 7 at his Dental Clinic in Chennai,” said the CBI release.

The CBI team swooped on Dr Murukesan and others and seized the entire `25 lakh in `1,000 currency notes. The team is searching for S Srilekha, the managing director of the college, who has gone absconding.

The Adhiparasakthi Dental College and Hospital is owned by The Adhiparasakthi Trust, an organisation launched by self-styled godman Bangaru Arulthiru Adigalar who enjoys the patronage of politicians cutting across party lines.

Dr S Subramanya Sharma, principal, ADCH, said he does not know anything about the incident. “I don’t know anything. I have not heard anything,” he said.

 Dr Viswanathan had alleged that politicians and bureaucrats in States were charging `50 crore for issuing NOC for a medical college. “We have to spend another `50 crore to speed up licence formalities in New Delhi. There is no transparency in the process of issuing licences to start medical or dental colleges while the country is reeling under severe shortage of medical doctors,” he had said.

Prof SP Thyagarajan, educationist of repute, had demanded change in functioning of Medical Council of India and DCI — the bodies which have the last say in giving recognition to medical and dental colleges.

Dr. Murukesan caught taking bribe

Source:  http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/dental-council-member-in-cbi-net-for-graft/article4287687.ece

 http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chennai-dental-council-member-caught-taking-bribe-from-college-staff-both-arrested/314549-62-128.html