On Wednesday, 3rd January, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena granted permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to launch a probe against two officials of the Delhi government’s Forests and Wildlife department in an alleged Rs 223-crore corruption case.
Notably, the CBI has filed a case against Parasnath Yadav and Alam Singh Rawat, the former senior account officer and assistant account officer in the Forests and Wildlife department, for allegedly colluding in a criminal conspiracy with LA Khan, the former senior branch manager of Bank of Baroda’s Paharganj branch, and others. Currently, Parasnath Yadav is posted as a Pay and Accounts Officer in the Principal Accounts Office of the Delhi government. Meanwhile, Alam Singh is posted as an Accounts Officer at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital in Pitampura.
According to the officials, the persons in question were involved in transferring Rs 223 crore “illegally” and “unauthorisedly” from the ‘sundry’ account to a bogus savings account in the name of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) at the same branch based on a forged letter allegedly issued by the Forests and Wildlife department.
The Directorate of Vigilance submitted a file to L-G Saxena via the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) requesting permission for the CBI to investigate Yadav under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the Directorate of Vigilance, the CBI stated in a letter dated July 12, 2023, that the investigations conducted thus far have prima facie brought forward the role of two officials in the case of alleged financial irregularities involving the Forest and Wildlife Department.
The Anti-Corruption Branch accused two female Health Department workers Chanchal Rani Pisalla and Rajnesh Verma of demanding Rs 60,000 each from two nursing officers in exchange for “light duty” in an alleged bribery case. The duo were then posted at the GB Pant Hospital as deputy nursing superintendent and nursing officer, respectively.
Furthermore, according to one of the nursing officers, the accused had already received Rs 42,000 in exchange for exemption from their duties at the COVID-19 desk.