A SCAM ROCKS UTTARAKHAND’S MEDICAL COLLEGES: 350-plus Fake Domicile Certificates Under Lens, Several lakhs changed hands , Locals Robbed Of MBBS Seats

Dehradun, 28 Sept 2026

A massive admission scam has rocked Uttarakhand’s Government Medical Colleges, where at least 350 to 370 candidates from outside the state have allegedly secured MBBS seats under the state quota using fake permanent residence and freedom fighter-dependent certificates.

The scam, now under investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by SP Rural Jaya Baluni and a magisterial inquiry ordered by the Dehradun District Magistrate, allegedly involves active collusion with revenue officials, particularly at the SDM Sadar, Dehradun office.

According to whistleblower and senior journalist Pradeep Bahuguna, who is also being referred as Subodh Bahuguna in local reports and has been consistently raising the issue, outsider candidates who have completed their Class 10 and 12 outside Uttarakhand obtained online domicile certificates at the last minute showing they had passed Intermediate from Uttarakhand schools.

Bahuguna alleges these certificates were issued without mandatory multi-tier field verification by patwaris and tehsil staff. Some certificates even carried AI-generated photographs and untraceable application numbers. In one sensational instance found during initial scrutiny, four disqualified candidates had used an identical freedom fighter identity card purportedly belonging to one Dharamveer Verma.

One of the students who is under SIT investigation has revealed that each candidate was charged *Rs 45 lakhs* for arranging the fake domicile and freedom fighter quota certificates.

The matter came to light when Bahuguna submitted a complaint to the Dehradun District Magistrate with copies marked to Minister for Health and Medical Education Subodh Uniyal. Dr Ashutosh Sayana, Director Medical Education, had formally sought an urgent magisterial inquiry on September 8 ahead of counselling, citing dossiers showing multiple beneficiaries from a single family.

On September 18, Bahuguna met Minister Subodh Uniyal and submitted an expanded dossier containing a list of *approximately 370 individuals* alleged to have obtained government benefits and MBBS admissions using forged documents. The Minister immediately ordered the Dehradun DM to submit a report within a week and to complete verification before the current counselling ends.

However, the journalist has categorically alleged that despite submitting majority of names to the government, nothing concrete is being done. The SIT has so far taken up only five cases – four MBBS admissions have been cancelled after their freedom fighter dependent certificates were found forged, and FIRs have been registered at Clement Town and Raipur police stations in Dehradun. Two persons have been arrested, and documents from Haridwar Medical College have been seized.

The SIT’s stand, as per sources, is that unless a formal FIR is lodged against these 370 students individually, they cannot take direct criminal action. Bahuguna counters that addresses of all involved can be obtained from the colleges where they sought admission to facilitate arrest, and has demanded investigation into the entire chain including CSC centres. The administration has already sealed four Common Service Centres (CSC) on September 17.

*Meritorious Locals Out, Low Scorers In*

The most disturbing fallout of the scam is on local aspirants. Sources in the Medical Education Department said that due to fake domicile holders eating into the 85% state quota, a local candidate scoring *551 marks in NEET* was left out, while an outsider candidate with just *221 marks* secured admission in MBBS under the state quota using fake certificates.

The investigation has now widened beyond freedom fighter dependent certificates to include EWS, SC, ST, OBC and orphaned category certificates. In one case cited by Bahuguna, a candidate named Saumya was first allotted a seat under ‘SC-Orphaned’ category at Doon Medical College, but after her caste certificate was cancelled at Doiwala tehsil, she was allotted a seat under ‘General-Orphaned’ category in Haldwani.

Minister Subodh Uniyal has warned that if a candidate gains admission on a forged certificate, the admission will be cancelled, the student will be blacklisted and criminal prosecution will follow. The third round of NEET-UG counselling in Uttarakhand has already been put on hold to allow fresh verification of documents of all students admitted in first and second rounds.

The scam, if the 370 figure is established, could be one of the biggest ever in Uttarakhand’s medical education history, directly robbing bonafide hill state aspirants of their rightful chance.