Five Officials Arrested in Multi-Crore Medical Equipment Scam

Five officials from Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation Ltd have been arrested for involvement in a procurement scam of medical equipment causing a significant financial loss. Arrests stemmed from irregularities in purchases made between 2022-2023, involving drastically overpriced equipment from Mokshit Corporation.

Five government officials from the Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation Ltd have been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau/Economic Offence Wing for alleged involvement in a medical equipment procurement scandal. The irregularities, occurring between 2022 and 2023, resulted in losses amounting to crores of rupees to the state exchequer.

The officials, including Basant Kumar Kaushik, Chhirod Rautia, Kamalkant Patanwar, Dr Anil Parsai, and Deepak Kumar Bandhe, have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. These individuals played key roles in either purchasing or managing equipment for the corporation.

Significantly overpriced items were procured, such as EDTA tubes and CBC machines, from Mokshit Corporation and related companies. An EDTA tube purchase was inflated to Rs 2,352 each, compared to the market rate of Rs 8.50. As these developments unfold, the ACB/EOW continues its investigation into the depth of this procurement malfeasance.

(With inputs from agencies.)