New Delhi: Two people — a storekeeper and a contractual staff — working at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) were arrested by the the Economic Offence wing (EOW) of Delhi Police for embezzeling government funds to the tune of Rs 13.80 crore.
According to an official on Thursday, Medical Superintendent at Rajender Prasad Eye Centre, AIIMS, Delhi, Dr Anoop Daga, had lodged a complaint regarding embezzlement of government funds to the tune of Rs 5 crore (raised to Rs 13.85 crore during the investigation) on account of purchase of linen items. The items were never supplied actually but payment was released to the supplier firm Sneh Enterprises.
After preliminary enquiry, a case under IPC sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B was registered at the EOW police station and the investigation taken up. The police said the scrutiny of the e-way bills revealed that vehicles shown as used for delivery of those goods to AIIMS, never delivered the same at AIIMS Delhi on any of the dates mentioned on e-way bills.
Scrutiny of GPS logs of the vehicles appearing on the e-way bills showed their locations out of Delhi. “The first accused, identified as Bijender Kumar, was a storekeeper at AIIMS. He prepared the forged purchase performa, supply order, inspection note and secured the release of payments in favour of Sneh Enterprises,” the police said.
The second accused Naveen Kumar was a contractual employee and was posted as Programme Assistant in the office of Dr Atul Kumar, Ex Chief Dr Rajender Prasad Eye Center, AIIMS. Indents for the goods were issued through the official ID of Naveen Kumar and same were also verified by him. All the manual and digital records maintained at AIIMS for the purpose of such supplies revealed criminal misdeeds of the accused in connivance with accused firm.
During investigation it was revealed that accused Bijender and Naveen both, issued forged supply orders in connivance with the accused firm. “Bills were raised by the accused Bijender and got approved himself. After getting these bills of ‘sham deliveries’ sanctioned, cheated amount used to be transferred to the account of firm namely,” the police said.
Both the accused were arrested on Wednesday. “Following arrest, the accused were produced before the designated Court. Further investigation of the case is in progress,” the police added.
