Army Medical Corps officer in CBI custody on bribery charges

The CBI has arrested a colonel of the Army Medical Corps, an MCI clerk and two others for alleged bribery of Rs 10 lakh for leaking information related to inspections of medical colleges and recognition of seats by the country's medical education regulator.
Col. Ajay Kumar Singh, empanelled as an assessor in the Medical Council of India (MCI), was nabbed after a middleman was caught receiving Rs 10 lakh from two hawala operators on his behalf, a CBI spokesperson said here today.
The agency has also arrested Santosh Kumar, a lower division clerk in the MCI, and two middlemen -- Sushil Kumar and Sachin Kumar, the official said. Sushil Kumar was supposed to carry the bribe money on behalf of the colonel.

All the four accused have been sent to five days' CBI custody by a special court here, he said.
The arrests were made after the CBI registered an FIR against the four arrested accused and B Ramachandhiran, Chairman, Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College and Research Centre, Puducherry.
The agency carried out searches at nine locations in Delhi, Puducherry and Chennai, including the residences of Singh, the medical college and offices of two hawala operators, he said.

CBI sources said Rs two crore was recovered during the searches.
According to the CBI FIR, MCI clerk Santosh Kumar was in regular contact with Ramachandhiran and shared sensitive information regarding the council.

He was also allegedly helping him with respect to some administrative matter regarding inspections and approvals related to the medical college.
"Kumar was also in regular touch with Colonel Singh of AMC, who was empanelled as an assessor with the MCI for inspecting various medical colleges," the CBI FIR has alleged.
It is alleged that Singh and Kumar were in regular touch with Ramachandhiran and had personal meetings with him and demanded illegal gratification for rendering support and providing information at regular intervals, the FIR alleged.
Ramachandhiran had recently delivered first instalment of illegal gratification to Singh and Kumar, it claimed.

Singh and Kumar wanted the remaining amount to be paid to them in lieu of extending favours by way of providing the information and helping in inspections, it alleged.
"They are engaging with the owners or management of medical institutions for obtaining huge periodical illegal gratification," the CBI has alleged.