GUJRAT: A three-member Supreme Court bench has told the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Thursday to cancel the registration of the Hashmat Medical and Dental College (HM&DC) in Jalalpur Jattan, remove it from its website and publicise in the media that the college is neither recognised by the PMDC nor it is a constituent or affiliated college of any university.

The court also directed the RIPHAH University to conduct the first year examination of 98 students of the HM&DC and if any candidate fails, they should be given another chance to appear in the exam. Those who pass the exams should be adjusted in other recognised medical colleges of Punjab.

The HM&DC will refund the fees and funds received from the students.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, and Justice Umer Atta Banidal and Justice Ijazul Ahsan as members, had announced a short order on April 4 on a petition by the HM&DC seeking orders to the PM&DC for the registration of its students as well as orders for RIPHAH University to conduct the MBBS first year students examination of some 100 candidates which the court had dismissed. The detailed judgement was released on Thursday. The court also declared the decision by the Islamabad High Court as valid, adding the apex court prohibited the HM&DC management from undertaking new admissions in future.

As per the orders, the Gujrat Federal Investigation Agency lodged an FIR against Dr Usman Akhtar and Sajjad Dar of the HM&DC as well as some agents of the college under sections 420, 468, 471, 406, 477A, 384 and 109 of Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, the college received Rs2.6 million from the father of a student through an agent and Rs48.1 million altogether from 98 students of the session 2016-17 for the MBBS first year.

The college also admitted 60-70 students to session 2017-18 but their record was not produced to the FIA.

Students and parents, however, submitted their statements to the FIA with fees details. This shows the college had given admissions to them despite of being warned by the PMDC to stop admission until council’s approval, says the FIA’s report.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2018