Sardar Rajas Medical College chief sent to judicial custody in fraud case

Kalahandi: The chief of Kalahandi-based Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital, A Johnsel Raja, who was arrested by EoW in fraud case, was sent to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected by a local court here on Friday.

The Junagarh Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Court rejected the prime accused’s bail plea in the Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital fraud and sent him to Dharamgarh jail in Kalahandi till August 13.

Johnsel Raja, the managing trustee of Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust that is running the Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital, was nabbed by the EoW of Odisha Crime Branch from Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu on July 26 on charges of criminal breach of trust and cheating.

According to reports, the Selvam Educational and Charitable Trust had signed an MoU with Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) to establish a medical college at Jaring in Kalahandi.

As per the MoU, WODC had provided Rs 10 crore and 25 acres of government land to the Trust. Even after getting all the benefits from government, the Trust managed by Raja failed to complete infrastructural development for smooth running of the hospital and medical college.

He obtained permission from MCI for admission in MBBS course for two academic years i.e. 2013-14 & 2014-15 by showing manufactured/false documents claiming to have all the facilities required by MCI for granting permission keeping the authorities in dark in violation of terms and conditions of MoU.

The aforementioned tactics adopted by accused Raja and others of the Trust were detected by MCI and further permission was not granted for admission in 3rd Academic year i.e 2015-16.

The accused although had got previous knowledge that MCI would not permit the college for admissions in the Academic year 2015-16, still collected huge amount from a number of students as capitation fee in violation of terms and conditions of MCI.

In addition to that, he also collected a big amount from 124 students as caution money. In the mid-session, he closed the college and misappropriated the total money collected.

The Odisha Government in 2015 had lodged an FIR against him at Junagarh police station in Kalahandi district. The WODC lodged the complaint accusing him of violating the MoU he signed with WODC, fraudulent documentation and playing with the future of hundreds of medical students.