RML Hospital doctor-company nexus case: How CBI found out what was going on

The CBI has unearthed a massive corruption racket at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, ToI reported on May 9. Nine people have been arrested on bribery charges.

The arrested allegedly had a nexus with suppliers of medical equipment, primarily stents

, and promoted their products for money, the report (by Raj Shekhar) said.

Two senior cardiologists are among the arrested -- Dr Ajay Raj, professor, cardiology department, and Dr Parvathgouda, assistant professor, cardiology.

The arrested also include a director and employee of companies supplying medical equipment besides nurses, clerks and lab employees working at the hospital, the report added. At least four Delhi and Gurgaon-based companies are under the lens in the case.

According to information from sources cited by TOI, the recent Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) operation at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital was launched following technical surveillance starting from March. Furthermore, it is said that the CBI utilized decoy patients to confirm the intelligence they had collected before taking action. This surveillance effort enabled the investigative team to comprehensively grasp the operations of the racket, including their preferred payment methods like UPI, bank transfers, and cash.

Sources revealed to TOI that the recent operation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital stemmed from a technical surveillance operation initiated since March. Furthermore, it is understood that the CBI employed decoy patients to validate their gathered intelligence before proceeding with their actions. This surveillance effort enabled the investigative team to gain a detailed insight into the workings of the racket, including their methods of operation. Additionally, it confirmed that the primary modes of payment used were UPI, bank transfers, and cash.

The initial breakthrough occurred on March 22 when one of the two detained doctors, Dr. Parvathgouda, allegedly communicated with a man named Akarshan Gulati, identified as a territorial sales manager for Gurgaon-based Biotronics. CBI surveillance revealed that the doctor instructed Gulati to deliver bribes in exchange for favors rendered to Biotronics.

In the surveillance data, Gulati is heard saying that he was away from the station but assured the doctor that he would ensure the delivery of the bribe by April 24 through an employee named Monika. The CBI's First Information Report (FIR) states that on April 24, as per the agreement, Parvathgouda contacted Monika and requested Rs 36,000 via UPI and the remaining amount in cash.

Another transcript from March 26 indicates that Parvathgouda purportedly requested a bribe from Abrar Ahmed, the director of the company M/s Scienmed Pvt Ltd.

According to the FIR, "The bribe was for promoting the medical equipment supplied by him. Ahmed transferred the bribe amount to the bank account named by Dr Parvathgouda."

The CBI examined the bank transactions between the two individuals and discovered that Ahmed transferred Rs 1.95 lakh from his Axis Bank account to the Canara Bank account number 1101494922**** held under the name of the doctor's father on March 26. Subsequently, on April 23, the doctor is heard making another call to Ahmed, urging him to settle all pending bribe amounts promptly, mentioning his upcoming personal trip to Europe. Ahmed assures Parvathgouda that he will deliver the requested bribe as soon as possible.

The inquiry also found that Bharati Medical Technology, a company based in Delhi, provided diverse medical equipment to RML Hospital for medical procedures. Bharat Singh Dalal, a representative of the firm, was in communication with the second detained doctor, Ajay Raj, who is a professor of cardiology at the hospital.

“On April 26, Dr Ajay Raj demanded a bribe of Rs 25,000 from Dalal for promoting medical equipment supplied by him. Ajay Raj sent the account details to Dalal who then wired the money to him. On May 3, Ajay Raj demanded Rs 35,000 from Dalal in the same account and this was transferred as well,” the FIR noted.

The probe also unearthed the role of one Rajnish Kumar, senior technical in-charge of the hospital's cath lab. “On March 30, Rajnish Kumar demanded Rs 1 lakh from Ahmed in lieu of promoting equipment supplied by him to patients. On March 31, Ahmed paid the bribe amount in the account maintained in the name of Rajnish’s father,” CBI said.