On 12th July, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested two more people alongside additional director Swasthya Bhawan, Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) in Meerut of Uttar Pradesh for seeking a payment of ₹50 lakh from a hospital in exchange for not being removed from a government program. The accused have been identified as additional director Ajay Kumar, office superintendent Lavesh Solanki and an associate Raees Ahmad.
The action was taken after a complaint was registered by Director Operations (Group) of a private Hospital in Meerut which prompted the agency to file the case. The complainant operates several medical facilities in and around the region. They stated that the CGHS team conducted a surprise inspection of two of its hospitals on 8th July.
Afterward, official notices were then sent to both hospitals, pointing out trivial flaws in an attempt to exploit the advantage. The perpetrators reportedly requested a bribe of Rs.50 lakh in order to prevent the hospitals from being de-empaneled from the list of institutions that were empanelled by the CGHS.
The public officers demanded that the payment should be delivered as soon as possible to stop the hospitals from being de-empanelled. On 12th August the additional director accepted to receive a partial amount of Rs. 5 lakh as a first installment of bribery, following negotiations.
However, the CBI set up a trap and apprehended the two public servants and a private individual along with the paid sum after which raids were executed at the residential properties.
How the case unfolded
Jain Medicare Hospital of Dr Ashish Jain, an ophthalmologist based in Noida is managed by Vishal Salonia. The latter is also in charge of Highfield Specialty Hospital situated at Pepla Idrishpur on Bhola Road as well as JMC Medicity Specialty Hospital, located on Rohta Road.
According to him, the CGHS office is housed within the health building in Surajkund where the accused were stationed. On 8th July, the two officials conducted inspections at JMC Medicity Hospital and Highfield Specialty Hospital. They identified several issues in both facilities, leading the CGHS panel to issue formal notices for suspension.
Rs 50 lakhs were demanded to maintain the status of the hospital and warned that failure to comply will result in being de-empaneled. Subsequently, Salonia reached out to Kumar and Solanki at the CGHS office. However, they threatened that if the money was not delivered promptly, the same would also happen to Highfield Specialty Hospital.
Salonia recorded the conversation reached out to the CBI’s Delhi office. A CBI team, accompanied by him, performed a reconnaissance of the CGHS office. A case was then filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Kumar and Solanki based on Salonia’s complaint, following the collection of all pertinent evidence. They used to obtain the money through their personal employee, Ahmed and the three were enetually nabbed by the agency.
