PGI gives clean chit to engineers after 8 years in cement scam case

After eight years of multiple inquiries and holding three officials guilty in the famous fraud of 420 bags of cement at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Reseach (PGIMER), now, another vigilance inquiry said that charges against the top officials of the engineering wing of the institute "could not be proved".

After eight years of multiple inquiries and holding three officials guilty in the famous fraud of 420 bags of cement at Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Reseach (PGIMER), now, another vigilance inquiry said that charges against the top officials of the engineering wing of the institute "could not be proved".

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In 2005, a vigilance inquiry was marked to prove the complaint that 420 cement bags were siphoned off by the engineering wing officials in connivance with the contractor during construction of Advanced Cardiac Centre.

The vigilance inquiry found that the allegations were against then hospital engineer (HE) RC Tuli (now retired), assistant engineer (AE) Narinder Malik, junior engineer (JE) Rajneesh Mittal and contractor of the building Madan Kharbanda.

The preliminary inquiry and the vigilance team inquiry reports submitted in 2008, found that the said cement was never purchased as claimed in the official records then inquiry officer VK Gupta.

However, a regular inquiry was also conducted in end of 2012 by Dr D Behera, professor, pulmonary medicine, PGIMER.

During the inquiry, Prem Chandra, engineer with PGIMER, who was the key witness in the entire case said he had given his earlier statement under pressure. Hence the inquiry report reached the conclusion that the charges against these three officials could not be proved.