Mussoorie, Sept. 21 -- A seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by SP (Rural) Jaya Baloni, has begun investigating allegations of fraudulent MBBS admissions in Uttarakhand using fake freedom fighter-dependent and other certificates, following directions from chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. Baloni said the SIT formally started in-depth investigation into the alleged fake freedom fighter certificate racket that compromised seats during the NEET-UG 2026 centralised counselling. "During the investigation, it came to light that Dharamveer Verma, whose freedom fighter credentials were allegedly used fraudulently for admissions, was a freedom fighter who had died. His son and grandson had no knowledge of how the freedom fighter certificate was being used for admission," she said. "Currently, we are focusing on the fake freedom fighter certificates and have questioned several people in this regard. We also sought records from various departments related to the incident, which we expect to receive by Monday," Baloni said. She said the SIT is examining all aspects of the matter but was currently focusing on cases involving fake freedom fighter certificates in which FIRs had been registered. If other instances involving fraudulent use of quota certificates came to light, the investigation could be expanded, she added. Asked whether an interstate gang was working in collusion with administrative officials, Baloni said prima facie it appears that a gang could be involved. She said negligence by government officials involved in the process was evident, but the SIT is investigating whether officials had colluded with the alleged gang or whether the irregularities resulted from an excessive workload. The CM has also ordered an expanded verification exercise covering all reserved categories after preliminary inquiries found that multiple candidates had allegedly secured medical college admissions using fabricated documents. Dhami said obtaining admission through the backdoor by ineligible candidates is as serious an offence as examination malpractice and directed administrative and legal action against beneficiaries as well as officials involved in issuing bogus documents. The action has already led to the cancellation of admission status and certificates of eight candidates, according to the government officials. The SIT also questioned officials at the sub-divisional magistrate's office in the presence of SDM Apoorva Singh, focusing on revenue patwaris responsible for processing verification reports. The team has directed officials to segregate files relating to freedom fighter dependents and audit the process from the initial application to issuance of the final certificate. The probe follows two FIRs registered in Dehradun. Clement Town police booked candidate Tripti and her mother, Uma Devi, while Raipur police named candidates Khushi, Pari and Swati, placing five women under formal investigation. Dehradun district administration's scrutiny earlier found four disqualified candidates had used identical freedom fighter identity card purportedly belonging to Dharamveer Verma. The matter came to light after Pradeep Bahuguna, son of late environmentalist Padma Vibhushan Sunderlal Bahuguna and a social activist, submitted a complaint to Dehradun district magistrate, with copies marked to minister for health and medical education. He alleged several candidates who completed their Class 10 and 12 schooling outside Uttarakhand obtained online domicile and freedom fighter-dependent certificates at the last minute without mandatory multi-tier field verification. Dr Ashutosh Sayana, director, Medical Education, formally sought an urgent magisterial inquiry on September 8 ahead of counselling choice-filling deadline, citing dossiers that allegedly showed multiple beneficiaries from a single family. The investigation widened on September 18 when Bahuguna met Subodh Uniyal, minister for health and medical education, and submitted an expanded dossier containing a list of approximately 370 individuals alleged to have obtained government benefits and professional course admissions using forged documents....