Delhi BJP accused of destroying files in Rs 700 crore medical scam
Key accused Rajeev Rangeela fled India days after securing anticipatory bail in an extortion case on June 30.
Files related to a ₹700 crore medical procurement scam in the Delhi BJP government have been deliberately destroyed. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) informed the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi about this.
According to a report by the Indian Express, these crucial files related to the medical procurement scam were records of purchases made by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Central Procurement Agency (CPA). It is evident that the large-scale scam in the procurement of medical equipment, medicines, and vaccines by the government agency would have been exposed, and the Delhi BJP government would have been proven guilty in court.
The opposition, namely the Aam Aadmi Party, has termed the incident of file destruction during the ACB investigation as a criminal act, citing the court's remarks against the Delhi BJP government.
AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj stated in an X post,
"Is it a joke that dozens of files are removed and destroyed from the Delhi government during an ongoing vigilance investigation? The mastermind of the scam, 'Rajeev Rangeela,' was given enough time to flee India. It can now be inferred that this scam was not limited to just two government doctors and an accountant. The money from this scam reached two senior BJP leaders, which is why the cover-up and whitewashing of the case are being managed from the top."
It should be noted that the CPA is the primary agency responsible for purchasing and supplying medicines, vaccines, and medical equipment for Delhi government hospitals and health centers. According to the investigation,
the files related to tenders for various items, including X-ray machines, C-arm machines, and linen, contained details of the officials who prepared the tender documents and set the conditions. These files also recorded the names of the officials who evaluated the tenders technically and financially.
Last week, the ACB informed the court that the accused deliberately destroyed these files and erased crucial evidence related to the crimes.
The main accused in this scam include former DGHS head Dr. Vatsala Agrawal, former Deputy Controller of Accounts of CPA Neeraj Chopra, and former Head of Office of CPA Dr. Vinod Kumar Ranga.
On Monday, the court rejected Ranga's regular bail plea. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Special Judge Vidya Prakash granted Agrawal four weeks of interim bail on medical grounds. Agrawal had cited several health issues, including high blood pressure, diabetes, palpitations, and a spinal injury, while seeking interim bail.
Judge Prakash stated on Tuesday that considering the current health condition of the accused, without delving into the merits of the case or the seriousness of the charges against them, the court believes that the applicant/accused should be granted interim bail on medical grounds purely on humanitarian considerations.
This case is linked to a complaint from the vigilance department, which was converted into an FIR on June 2. It is alleged that there were large-scale irregularities in the use of government funds allocated for medicines, surgical items, and hospital equipment, manipulation of tenders, and embezzlement of public funds. The first arrest in this case occurred on June 18.
A key accused in the case, Rajeev Rangeela, was granted anticipatory bail on June 30 in an extortion case. Shortly after, he fled India. The drug supplier and pharmaceutical businessman Rangeela is still absconding, the ACB informed the court. Ranga, in his bail plea, stated that the ACB investigation is being hampered due to Rangeela's disappearance, affecting his liberty. He also claimed that he made all decisions only after Agrawal's approval.
According to the ACB,
the accused participated in a criminal conspiracy to limit competition in tenders through mutual collusion and illegally awarded tenders to their preferred "entities."
The agency claimed in court that the eligibility conditions related to business, experience, and performance in the tenders were deliberately set very high to "discourage other bidders from participating in the tender."
The ACB further alleged that despite supplying goods, payments to other vendors were withheld for more than two years. The agency also claimed that,
amounts were transferred to "hundreds" of bank accounts of individuals unrelated to the supplies made to DGHS or CPA. According to the ACB, "crores of rupees were either withdrawn in cash from these accounts or transferred to other accounts for embezzlement of government funds."