Nuh health officer, clerk held over ₹2.5L bribe to alter rape case report

The clerk allegedly took the money on the doctor’s instructions, with the duo booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

A senior medical officer and a clerk of the Haryana health department posted at the Pinangwan health centre were arrested after being caught accepting ₹2.5 lakh from a man in Nuh to allegedly tamper with forensic evidence to falsify a medical examination report to favour the man’s son, who is facing charges of raping a minor, Haryana state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau (ACB) officials said on Wednesday.

The case followed a complaint alleging the accused sought money to submit a medical report showing no signs of sexual assault. (File photo)

ACB inspector Vijender Singh said the clerk, a multipurpose health worker, had taken the money and kept it inside a chair when he was arrested on Tuesday. “He confessed of taking the money on the directions of the doctor, following which the team arrested him too from the spot immediately,” Singh said.

ACB officials said the action was taken on a complaint from the man involved in handing over the money, as the officer allegedly sought ₹3.5 lakh after he had paid the clerk ₹15,000 on two instances.

An officer aware of the case, requesting anonymity, said, “The victim was taken to the Pinangwan health centre for medical examination and collection of samples for forensic analysis, when the clerk contacted the suspect’s father and asked him to pay ₹3.5 lakh to tamper the evidence and submit a medical report stating there was no sign of sexual assault.”

A senior health department official said that the duo will be suspended soon and department proceedings will be initiated against them in the case. “The allegations against them are of extremely serious nature,” the official said.