THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) is likely to close the probe into the Rs 5-crore medical college recognition scam with the alleged bribe givers and takers denying it. According to sources, the vigilance has asked Varkala SR Medical College and Research Centre owner and Bharat Dharma Jana Sena leader R. Shaji to produce a copy of the Rs 5.6 crore agreement he had with Delhi-based businessman Satish Nair for facilitating Medical Council of India's nod.
Though Mr Shaji had skipped a couple of deadlines it gave to produce the document, he assured he would give it soon. Vigilance sources said there was little scope for registering a corruption case in the present circumstances. But a final decision would come only after looking into all the angles. Though the vigilance got a copy of an internal enquiry report said to be that of the BJP regarding the scam, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan as well as vice-president K. P. Sreesan and secretary A. K. Nazeer, who reportedly conducted the enquiry, had disowned the report.
Mr Nair had admitted to the vigilance that he had collected Rs 25 lakh through expelled BJP leader R. S. Vinod as consultancy fee. He also said there was an agreement on '5.6 crore with the college, which was the cost of setting up infrastructure and other facilities for recognition. However, that agreement failed as the MCI inspected the medical college before they were put in place. Sources said that the scope of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was quite impossible with these factors. Meanwhile, the Lok Ayukta is also considering a petition in this connection. Mr Rajasekharan, Mr Sreesan and Mr Nazeer maintained the same stand denying any party links with the scam before the Lok Ayukta also. The Lok Ayukta case will come up on September 27.
