In a significant development, Bengaluru police on Friday filed the first FIR in connection with the alleged ₹167-crore Covid procurement scam during the previous BJP-led government. The state is also expected to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) to further probe the matter.
The FIR, lodged under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 403 (dishonest misappropriation of property), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by a public servant), and the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, names a former director of the Medical Education Department, Dr. Girish PG, joint director of the State Accounts and Audit Department Raghu GP, Health Equipment Officer Muniraju N, two private companies—Bengaluru-based Laj Exports Limited and Mumbai-based Prudent Management Solutions—and unnamed elected representatives.
The case stems from a complaint by Dr. Vishnuprasad M, Chief Accounting Officer of the Medical Education Department, detailing irregularities in procuring 15.51 lakh PPE kits worth ₹203.66 crore and 42.15 lakh N-95 masks worth ₹9.75 crore between September 2020 and June 2021.
Investigations reveal multiple violations of procurement rules under the KTPP Act. Contracts were awarded to companies like Laj Exports, which was ineligible to bid, and Prudent Management Solutions, which received payments even before government funds were approved. Discrepancies in supply records have also emerged, with missing PPE kits and unauthorized orders worth crores adding to the controversy.
The case has sparked calls for transparency and accountability, as the SIT prepares to unravel the full extent of the scam.
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