Non-profit. Reader-funded. Independent.
New Delhi: A former director-general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the deputy controller of accounts (DCA) of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) have been arrested in connection with an alleged corruption and criminal conspiracy case regarding the procurement of medicines, medical equipment and consumables in Delhi, officials said on Sunday (June 28). With this there have been a total of three arrests in the case so far.
The arrest of Dr Vatsala Aggarwal, the former DGHS, and Neeraj Chopra, the deputy CPA, comes days after the Delhi government’s anti-corruption branch (ACB) apprehended Dr Vijay Kumar Ranga, the former head of the CPA’s office, in the same case on June 18. He was remanded to four days’ police custody.
Aggarwal and Chopra were produced before a Delhi court on Saturday, and remanded to one day of police custody, an ACB officer was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
The case
According to the HT report, a complaint was received from the Delhi government’s Directorate of Vigilance (DoV) regarding alleged large-scale irregularities in the procurement of medicines, surgical consumables, other consumables, and medical equipment by the CPA under DGHS.
The DoV had conducted searches at the CPA office and filed a complaint alleging serious irregularities in the agency’s procurement processes, tender conditions and technical specifications, allegedly giving undue advantage to selected private firms and suppliers, thereby causing loss to the government exchequer.
Subsequently, the ACB registered a first information report (FIR) on June 2 under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The allegations included the procurement of portable X-ray machines, C-Arm radiological equipment, anaesthesia workstations, oral rehydration solution (ORS), surgical consumables and medicines, and other products, that investigators suspect were procured at “highly inflated rates” through allegedly manipulated tendering processes.
According to reports, the alleged misutilisation of government funds could be worth more than Rs 350 crore.
Suspensions and further probe
According to PTI, Dr Aggarwal was removed from his post and placed under “awaiting posting” from the DGHS post on May 21, before being transferred to the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.
According to the news agency, she was again suspended at the direction of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu to facilitate disciplinary proceedings.
The Delhi government also issued suspension orders to five pharmacists and two CPA officials after the internal inquiry found serious irregularities in the procurement, storage and management of medicines at various agency stores.
The ACB is still conducting investigation to identify the role of other officials and private suppliers in the alleged scam.
According to a report by The Indian Express, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also stepped in and sought documents related to the case involving the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).
In a letter to the current DGHS, Dr Sushma Jain, the daily reported, the ED has sought the details of the tendering process, technical and financial evaluation, award of contracts, supply, inspection, acceptance and release of payments related to the procurements, under scanner, including transactions and dealings involving manufacturers and their authorised distributors or vendors; and other entities associated with the aforesaid procurements.
It has also sought details such as procurement of X-ray machines and other alleged equipment associated with the case.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Your contributions can help us provide in-depth reporting on social, political, and economic issues that affect our daily lives.
©2025 All rights reserved. Foundation for Independent Journalism (FIJ)
Leave a Reply