NEW DELHI: A Delhi court has granted bail to Dr Manish Rawat, a neurosurgeon at Safdarjung Hospital, who was arrested on charges of coercing patients into purchasing overpriced surgical equipment from a specific store to expedite their surgeries.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has accused Rawat of colluding with accomplices to extort payments from patients for medical consultations and surgeries, circumventing hospital protocols.
According to the CBI, Rawat compelled patients to purchase surgical instruments at inflated prices from a specific shop, with the shop owner sharing the overbilling profits with Rawat.
Investigation revealed that Rawat directed patients to deposit ‘bribes’ ranging from Rs 30,000 - 1.15 lakh into a middleman’s bank account.
The CBI also alleged that Rawat and his co-conspirators laundered the illicit gains through various companies controlled by an individual based in Bareilly.
However, Special Judge Anil Antil granted bail after imposing strict conditions on Rawat, noting that the trial had not begun despite the chargesheet being filed over a year ago.