CBI busts bribery racket at Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, 9 arrested

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted a bribery racket at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital in New Delhi and arrested nine people including professors and technical in charge cardiology department of the healthcare facility, the law enforcement agency said on Wednesday.

CBI has filed an FIR implicating several doctors and employees of RML, accusing them of accepting bribes from patients and medical equipment suppliers.

Among the nine arrested, are two professors and assistant professors from the cardiology department of RML.

A senior technical in-charge, a nurse, two clerks from the hospital, along with the representatives from five private medical equipment supplier companies are also among the accused in the FIR.

The CBI conducted searches at 15 locations as part of its investigation, the agency said.
 

The accused have been charged with "criminal conspiracy" and violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

As per the allegations, the doctors and hospital staff took bribes directly or indirectly through representatives of medical equipment companies in exchange for various favours, including promoting their equipment or facilitating its use in the hospital.

The clerks and nurses were allegedly demanding undue advantages from patients for facilitating appointments and admissions.

A doctor allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 1.95 lakh from a supplier named Abrar Ahmed, which was transferred to his father's account. Later the accused doctor again contacted the supplier to expedite the payment of all pending bribe amounts as he was planning to leave for Europe on a personal tour, the FIR stated.

Further investigation is underway, the agency said.