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Delhi Arrests Top Health Officials as ACB Alleges Rs 600 Crore Procurement Racket

Investigators say tailored tender specs, shell distributor firms and fast payments to linked suppliers caused alleged large losses that will prompt deeper financial tracing.

Overview

  • The Anti-Corruption Branch registered an FIR after a June 2 vigilance complaint and has arrested former DGHS chief Dr Vatsala Agarwal plus other DGHS/CPA officials following an earlier arrest of Dr Vinod Kumar Ranga.
  • Investigators allege extreme price inflation of 200–500% on items such as portable X‑ray machines, C‑arm equipment, ORS sachets and linen, with the FIR putting the loss at roughly several hundred crores.
  • The complaint says a supplier named Rajiv Rangila created fake distributor companies and worked with manufacturers and officials to draft restrictive technical specifications that excluded genuine bidders.
  • The FIR describes procurement gaps in the Government e‑Marketplace process, including showing tenders as 'active' after manual orders and same‑day payments to linked firms while other suppliers went unpaid.
  • The Enforcement Directorate has sought records to examine possible money‑laundering and investigators say more interrogations, forensic accounting and further arrests or summonses of officials are likely.