ACB hunts for absconding pharma distributor Rajiv Rangila in Delhi procurement scam
The Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Sunday announced it is conducting raids and initiating legal proceedings to locate and arrest Rajiv Rangila, an absconding pharmaceutical distributor accused in a multi-crore medical procurement scam in Delhi.
According to ACB officials, Rangila is suspected to be a key link between the private companies that supplied medical goods and government officials from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).
ACB chief Vikramjit Singh stated that Rangila is currently absconding. Investigators have launched legal proceedings, including the issuance of a lookout circular, to track down and apprehend him. Officials noted they are currently unable to confirm whether Rangila remains in India or has fled the country.
Three people have already been arrested in connection with the case, which was registered on June 2. The arrested individuals are Dr. Vatsala Agarwal, former director-general of the DGHS; Dr. Vinod Kumar Ranga, former head of the CPA’s office; and Neeraj Chopra, the deputy controller of accounts of the CPA.
The scam involves alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment and supplies for Delhi government hospitals. The suspect items include portable X-ray and C-Arm radiological equipment, anaesthesia workstations, oral rehydration solutions, surgical consumables, and medicines. The probe began after the Delhi government’s Directorate of Vigilance searched the CPA office and filed a complaint.
On Sunday, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the delay in Rangila's arrest on the social media platform X, asking why the main accused had not been apprehended despite the FIR being registered in early June.
An ACB officer defended the timeline, explaining that the team has been focused on gathering solid evidence of corruption and criminal conspiracy to ensure there are no gaps in the prosecution's case when it goes to court.
