In a major anti-corruption operation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested a retired Lieutenant Colonel and a former serviceman from Charkhi Dadri while accepting a bribe of ₹22.5 lakh. The bribe was allegedly demanded to “resolve” issues faced by a private multi-specialty clinic in Rajgarh, Rajasthan with the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS).
According to the FIR, retired Lt Colonel Amarjit Singh, once in charge of the Rajgarh polyclinic, had offered to “settle” the matter if the clinic owner, Dr. Rajesh Mehta, paid ₹25 lakh. He then directed the doctor to speak with Mukesh Kumar, a retired army man currently serving as a contractual clerk at the ECHS polyclinic in Hisar.
Mukesh allegedly negotiated the bribe down to ₹22.5 lakh and falsely claimed he was a senior official at the Regional Centre, ECHS, Hisar — even using multiple aliases, including “Colonel.”
The investigation began when a team from ECHS visited Mehta’s clinic and took away 20–25 ECHS cards from ex-servicemen without issuing any receipts. Suspecting foul play, Mehta alerted the authorities, prompting the CBI to set up a trap.
Both accused were caught red-handed during the exchange, confirming their attempt to exploit the ECHS system for personal gain. The arrests have cast a spotlight on potential vulnerabilities within the veteran healthcare framework.
Read also: