Former Delhi DGHS Dr Vatsala Agarwal Arrested In Multi Crore Procurement Case
The Delhi Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) on Saturday arrested the former Director General of Health Services (DGHS), Dr. Vatsala Agarwal, in New Delhi. The arrest was made in connection with an ongoing corruption case involving alleged multi-crore irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment, surgical items, and medicines.
Dr. Agarwal's arrest follows the recent apprehension of Dr. Vijay Kumar Ranga in the same procurement case. Following his arrest by the ACB, Dr. Ranga was produced before a Delhi court, which subsequently remanded him to four days of police custody.
According to officials from the ACB, the corruption case revolves around alleged large-scale financial irregularities in procurement operations. The total value of these procurements is estimated to run into several hundred crores of rupees. The transactions were carried out by the Central Procurement Agency (CPA), an entity that functions under the administrative control of the DGHS.
The probe into the procurement processes was initiated after the Directorate of Vigilance flagged several suspicious transactions. The vigilance body also highlighted possible procedural violations in how the purchases were handled.
Subsequent investigations by the ACB revealed that the procurement of crucial medical supplies was allegedly executed at highly inflated prices. These purchases were reportedly conducted through heavily manipulated tender processes.
Among the items identified in the alleged scam are portable X-ray machines, C-arm radiological equipment, and anaesthesia workstations. Investigators also found irregularities in the procurement of daily hospital supplies, including bed sheets, linen, and oral rehydration solution (ORS). Additionally, the purchase of various surgical consumables and general medicines is under scrutiny.
The ACB has further alleged that the tender specifications for these items were deliberately tailor-made to favour specific, pre-selected suppliers. By designing these restrictive specifications, officials allegedly excluded genuine bidders from participating in the competitive bidding process. This manipulation reportedly resulted in the extensive misuse of public funds amounting to hundreds of crores.
