The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken decisive action against a burgeoning bribery racket at Delhi’s Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital, with a total of 11 individuals now in custody. Among the newly arrested are a medical equipment supplier and a nurse, adding to the growing list of accused in this scandal.
The recent arrests of Akarshan Gulati, territory sales manager of Biotroniks, and nurse Shalu Sharma, have brought the total number of detainees to 11. This includes two cardiologists and three members of the hospital support staff apprehended in the initial crackdown.
Shalu Sharma, along with clerk Bhuwal Jaiswal, allegedly resorted to threats against a man, warning him that his pregnant wife would be forcibly discharged from the hospital unless he paid them Rs 20,000. In a disturbing turn of events, Shalu reportedly threatened to halt the treatment of the man’s wife unless the extortion demands were met. The victim was coerced into paying the sum through UPI, as detailed in the FIR filed by the CBI.
Further investigations reveal that Assistant Professor Parvatagouda Channappagouda, arrested earlier, was involved in demanding payment from Akarshan Gulati to settle his outstanding dues. Gulati facilitated the transaction through his employee Monika Sinha. Channappagouda then instructed Sinha to transfer Rs 36,000 via UPI and the remainder in cash.
The CBI’s probe also led to the arrest of RML cardiology Professor Ajay Raj, accused of accepting bribes from medical equipment suppliers in exchange for using their products and stents within the hospital. Among those arrested for their involvement in the scandal include medical equipment supplier Naresh Nagpal of Nagpal Technologies, who allegedly paid Rs 2.48 lakh to Channappagouda to promote the sale of medical equipment; Bharat Singh Dalal of Bharti Medical Technologies, who made two UPI transactions to bribe Raj; and Abrar Ahmed, who reportedly paid bribes to hospital Cath Lab incharge Rajnish Kumar and Channappagouda.
In a coordinated operation, the CBI also apprehended Jaiswal, Sanjay Kumar, and middleman Vikas Kumar on Wednesday, expanding the scope of the investigation and exposing the depth of corruption within the hospital.
The arrests shed light on a deeply concerning trend of corruption and unethical practices within the healthcare sector, undermining the trust and integrity of medical institutions. It underscores the urgent need for stringent measures to prevent such malpractices and ensure the delivery of transparent and accountable healthcare services to the public.
The CBI has reiterated its commitment to rooting out corruption and bringing those responsible to justice, signaling a strong stance against such reprehensible acts that jeopardize the well-being of patients and erode public faith in the healthcare system.
