A special NIA court in Srinagar on Tuesday framed charges against eight accused, mostly Hurriyat Leaders, for their alleged involvement in the MBBS scam, the money of which was used to fund terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency sleuths searched the houses of the accused.
During the course of investigation, statement of witnesses was recorded and on the basis of other evidence collected it surfaced that the admissions in MBBS and other professional courses in Pakistan was in preferentially given to those students who were close family member/relative of killed terrorists on the recommendations of members of Hurriyat and received by their counterparts in Pakistan.
It was on the recommendations of Hurriyat that authorities in Pakistan provided admission in the professional colleges to the next of kins (NOK’s) of killed terrorist as a compensation to boost morale and keep the pot of terror boiling in valley and infuse new spirit into the terror fold.
The accused in conspiracy with Hurriyat leaders based in Pakistan and Kashmir were demanding huge amount of money from parents for getting their children admitted in technical courses, especially MBBS in Pakistan. Moreover, they also would arrange recommendations letters from Hurriyat leaders and other VTD’s (valid travel documents) from Pakistan Embassy, New Delhi, to facilitate their visit to Pakistan for admission. The students were made to appear in the National Talent Search (NTS) test at Hurriyat office.
Investigation revealed that the accumulated money was ploughed into militancy and to create law and other problems by disturbing peace, damaging public property, striking terror among the common masses and creating potential threat to the sovereignty of India. Money raised through this process was also distributed among the families of killed terrorists as a token of incentive for such families and families of active militants to boost their moral and carry forward anti-national against the Union of India.