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Himachal PPE scam: Vigilance finds evidence to show ex-health director was asking for more bribe to seal deal
Prithvi Singh of Sirmaur district, who worked as the liasioning officer for a Punjab-based firm, was seeking one more supply order of PPE kits from Dr Ajay Kumar Gupta before the issue of tender so that both could make gains but no supply order could be carried out as by then the state government decided that Covid-19 purchases will be made through tenders
Shimla: The state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau probing the Himachal Pradesh health department scam has found that employees of a Punjab-based firm colluded with former director, health, Dr Ajay Kumar Gupta to secure orders for supplying personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for corona warriors.
The scam surfaced on May 20 after an audio clip of a conversation between Dr Gupta and Prithvi Singh, a representative for a medical equipment supplier in Punjab, was widely shared on social media. In the 43-second audio clip, Dr Gupta is heard asking Prithvi, 46, for a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to seal the deal.
Prithvi was said to be in touch with health officials and is also close to political leaders of Himachal Pradesh. He had made several calls to bureaucrats and the political leaders on the day the vigilance team arrested Dr Gupta.
The vigilance team sent Dr Gupta’s and Prithvi’s mobile phones for investigation to the Central Forensic Laboratory at Junga. The forensic examination revealed that there were three more audio recordings between Prithvi, an agent of Bioaide Corporation, and Dr Gupta that were related to the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
“While the agent was ready to deliver Rs 3 lakh that was in his possession, the former director, health services, (DHS) insisted that he arrange Rs 2 lakh more,” says superintendent of police Shalini Agnihotri, who is heading the special investigation unit probing the case. The agent was seeking one more supply order of PPE kits from the DHS before the issue of tender so that both could make gains out of the deal, she said.
The anti-corruption bureau found that no supply order could, however, be carried out as by then the government decided that Covid-19 related purchases will only be made through tenders.
Prithvi Singh, who belongs to Renuka in Sirmaur, was interrogated at length but later he became uncooperative and was arrested on Saturday. He was produced before the court of the special judge, forest, Shimla and sent in five days’ police remand.
Prithvi’s political links are being investigated. State BJP chief Rajeev Bindal stepped down from the post on May 28 after his name was dragged into the scam.
