UP: Member of gang securing MBBS admissions with forged freedom fighter certificates held
Bhadohi (UP) (PTI): Police in Bhadohi have arrested a member of a gang that allegedly facilitated MBBS admissions for nine students in the Uttar Pradesh government and autonomous medical colleges using forged 'freedom fighter family' certificates, officials said on Monday.
The arrested accused, Shubham Singh (27) of Jigna in the Mirzapur district, was a lab technician at a government health centre in Zamania, Ghazipur. He was caught by the Gyanpur police on Sunday while allegedly collecting a pre-decided payment from an MBBS student, a senior officer said.
During the arrest, police recovered Rs 4.8 lakh from Shubham, which was part of Rs 5 lakh allegedly taken from the father of candidate Divyanshu Verma, Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhimanyu Manglik said.
According to the police, Shubham struck a deal of Rs 15 lakh to secure Divyanshu's MBBS admission using a forged freedom fighter certificate.
SP Manglik said the director general of medical education and training (UP), on August 27, 2025, had asked the police to verify the certificates submitted by nine students, all residents of different parts of Bhadohi, who had secured MBBS admission in the 2012-13 academic session under the freedom fighter quota.
The DGME suspected irregularities after the documents appeared dubious, the police said.
The students identified are Shambhavi Arya, Divyanshu Verma, Sejal Singh, Shivansh Yadav, Anvi Bhushan, Amit Srivastava, Ayatuzzahra, Isha Yadav and Deepika Arya.
Verification by the district magistrate's office revealed that none of the nine certificates had been officially issued and that all had been forged, the police said.
Based on a complaint by clerk Shahid Ali, an FIR was lodged on September 20, 2025, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to cheating and forgery, following orders of District Magistrate Shailesh Kumar, SP Manglik said.
During the investigation, Divyanshu told the police that Shubham and his associate, Pardeep Dubey, had arranged the forged freedom fighter certificate for his NEET-2025 admission, he said.
He added that the duo had demanded Rs 15 lakh from his father, Dr Ghanshyam Verma, also posted at the Zamania health centre, of which Rs 5 lakh was to be paid on Sunday and the remaining later.
Police arrested Shubham near the Singhpur canal bridge in the Gyanpur area and recovered the cash. He allegedly admitted to taking money from Dr Verma and confirmed that others were involved.
Meanwhile, efforts are on to arrest Shubham's associates, officials said, adding that he will be produced before a court later on Monday.
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Priyanka Gandhi visited Zubeen Garg's cremation ground for politics: Himanta
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of doing politics over the death of Zubeen Garg, two days after her visit to the singer’s cremation ground.
Speaking to reporters at BJP state headquarters here, Sarma announced that he will not visit Garg's cremation ground 'Zubeen Khetra' till the Assembly elections are over.
"'Zubeen Khetra' should not be used for political purposes. Priyanka Gandhi came to Assam for political purposes and spent just two minutes at the cremation ground," he said.
Stating that no one should visit 'Zubeen Khetra' when they come for political purposes, Sarma said that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah have not been there despite visiting the state multiple times over the last three months.
"Why didn't Priyanka Gandhi visit Swahid Smarak or Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s memorial? The Congress is openly doing politics over Zubeen Garg. They made people emotional and sought votes," he alleged.
On Friday, Vadra visited Garg's cremation ground and said the iconic musician was the "voice of Assam's soul" and he is "above politics".
The Congress leader, who was on a two-day trip to the state to shortlist party candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls, made an unscheduled visit to 'Zubeen Khetra' at Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati without any media presence.
The celebrated singer died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea. He had gone to the island nation to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).
The CM further claimed that around 12,000 BJP workers donated blood on Zubeen Garg's birthday in November last year.
"Whose value is more -- Priyanka Gandhi who spent two minutes or me who arranged 12,000 blood donors? People are using Garg's name and doing politics," he added.
Sarma pointed out that it was he who had selected the location to make 'Zubeen Khetra' and arranged everything.
"If Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have courage, let them go to Swahid Smarak and confess that their grandmother and father had committed sins during Assam Agitation," he added.
A 'Swahid Smarak', the martyrs memorial, was inaugurated in December last year in the state capital in memory of more than 850 people from the Assamese community who had died during the six-year long Assam Agitation.
"I will not go to Zubeen Khetra till the elections are over. I feel no candidate should visit it if they are contesting elections," Sarma said.
Talking about public demand to set up a fast-track court for speedy trial of Garg's death, the CM claimed that a "conspiracy" is happening in that aspect.
"The judge, in whose court the case is going on at present, has rejected three bail petitions of the accused. Seeing this, two others withdrew their bail applications," he added.
Sarma claimed that a preparation is going on to take away the case from this judge to help the accused.
"This is a design of a particular news channel, a particular newspaper and Congress to change the judge, give bails to the accused before election and blame the BJP," he added.
"It is just politics. There is a conspiracy to give bail and put BJP in awkward position," he said.
Sarma said the Assam Cabinet on February 26 will take a decision whether the case should be handed over to a fast-track court.
"We may transfer it, but we will not be responsible for the consequences of the case then," he added.
Garima Saikia Garg, wife of Zubeen Garg, and Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar on February 16 had expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of the case being heard by the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court.
With several petitions filed before the court on different aspects by the accused, the entire process has been delayed as the trial is yet to begin, Kamar had said.
NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, his two band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, his cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, and his PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya are in jail as accused in the case.
