Punjab vigilance bureau busted a racket; arrested 3 health officials
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in/ Chandigarh
Aiming to check the corrupt practices in the state, Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) today busted a racket by arresting three officials of health department who were found to be indulged in issuing fake disability certificates, dope tests and medico-legal reports (MLRs).
Disclosing this here today, Chief Director-Cum-ADGP Vigilance Bureau B.K. Uppal said the VB has carried out an operation under leadership of SSP VB Parmjit Singh Virk after getting information under which Lab Technician Vijay Kumar, Pharmacists Darshan Singh and Finance-cum-Logistic officer (F.L.O) Tejinder Pal Sharma have been arrested. They were indulged in unfair practices by issuing fake disability certificates, dope test reports, and MLRs.
“During the investigation, it was found that these officials of Civil Hospital Mansa were taking hefty bribes from the people to change their types of injuries as well as issuing forged negative dope test reports and fake physically disabled certificates. These employees have established links with the owners of the private hospitals and private/Government doctors”, he revealed.
Uppal further informed that whosoever came for treatment at Civil Hospital Mansa were being referred to private hospitals and charged bribes from the owners of private hospitals. Apart from this, it was found that in connivance with the closely known doctors, they also took their share of bribe from private hospitals for referring the patients under Ayushman Bharat scheme (Universal Health Scheme).
He revealed that these employees have collected Rs. 10,000 from each person for changing the positive dope test report into negative for the purpose of making arms license. In this way, many drug addicts have succeeded in getting/renewing arms licenses from the district administration. Besides this, many drug addicted officers/employees working in Punjab Police and other departments were also able to pass dope tests with the help of these corrupt officials.
Vigilance chief stated that after taking bribes these corrupt employees changed the nature of injuries of quarrelling people admitted into the hospital in connivance with the known doctors. He said that these officials were playing with the lives of common people and making bad impact in the society by issuing fake dope test reports.
In this regard a case u/s 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of IPC and 7,13 (1) (E) of Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against all the accused in Vigilance Bureau Police station, Bhatinda.
Uppal said “Further investigation is under progress and Bureau will take strict action against more officials if anyone found to be involved in this racket. Similar investigation may also be carried out in other places in the days to come to check such corrupt practices”
June,16,2020
