The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the Delhi government arrested Dr. Vinod Kumar Ranga, former head of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) of Delhi’s health services. This is the first arrest in this case. Ranga was arrested in a case related to alleged large-scale irregularities in the procurement of medicines and medical equipment worth more than Rs 600 crore and manipulation of tender terms.
After the arrest, the accused Dr. Ranga was presented in the court on Friday. The court sent Dr. Ranga to police custody for 4 days.
Scam in purchase of medical equipment
The Anti-Corruption Branch yesterday arrested Dr. Vinod Kumar Ranga, former head of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, GNCTD. Ranga was arrested in a corruption case related to alleged irregularities in the purchase of medicines, surgical supplies, consumables and medical equipment.
The Vigilance Directorate of the Delhi government had received a complaint in a corruption-related case, in which large-scale alleged irregularities were mentioned in the procurement of medicines, surgical items, surgical consumables, other consumables and medical equipment by the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) of the Directorate General of Health Services. The allegation was that some government employees and private individuals hatched a criminal conspiracy and allegedly manipulated procurement procedures, tender terms and technical specifications to provide undue favor to selected firms and suppliers.
Loss to government treasury due to misappropriation
It is alleged that due to this misappropriation, there was a huge loss to the government treasury and many people got benefited wrongly. The allegations included procurement of portable X-ray machines, bed sheets and linen items, C-arm radiological equipment, anesthesia work stations, oral rehydration solution (ORS), surgical consumables and medicines at inflated prices through allegedly manipulated procurement processes.
It was also alleged that specifications were specially prepared to favor selected suppliers, real competitors were kept out of the bidding process and government funds worth more than several hundred crores were misused. On receiving the complaint, the Anti-Corruption Branch registered an FIR on June 2 under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) and sections related to criminal conspiracy of the Indian Justice Code, 2023.
ACB investigating the role of beneficiaries
After the FIR, investigation into the case was initiated and various records, official documents and other evidence related to the purchase were examined. During the investigation, it was revealed that many important files related to the purchase of portable X-ray machine, bed sheets and linen items, C-arm radiological equipment, anesthesia work station, ORS, surgical items and medicines were not made available by Dr. Vinod Kumar Ranga. He reportedly kept these files in his personal custody.
During the investigation, Dr. Ranga was interrogated several times. However, he could not give proper answers about the missing records and other important aspects of the case. He was arrested yesterday on Thursday for recovering missing files, uncovering the larger conspiracy, identifying other beneficiaries and people involved in the conspiracy, tracing money transactions and obtaining incriminating documentary and electronic evidence and today he was sent to police custody. The role of other government employees, private individuals, suppliers and beneficiaries involved in the alleged conspiracy is also being investigated.
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