BHUBANESWAR: City police arrested two persons for allegedly stealing medical equipment worth lakhs of rupees from Odisha State Medical Corporation godown in Unit-I area recently.
Four others including proprietors of two private hospitals were also nabbed for purchasing the stolen equipment at cheaper rates.
The accused are proprietors of a private hospital on the outskirts of Cuttack. Arun Acharya, proprietor of a private hospital in Bhubaneswar Pramod Swain and his manager Rairanjan Biswal, a middleman Lingaraj Sahoo, labour contractor at the godown Manoj Paika and security guard Shantanu Samal. Police said Pramod has set up a hospital but it is yet to start operations.
Manoj disposed of the stolen equipment, which are used in ICUs, to Lingaraj who has links with a doctor in Cuttack. Police have also registered a theft case against the doctor who is absconding
.A complaint about the case was filed on February 19. Initial investigation suggests that the equipment was stolen by breaking the windows of the godown. Most of the stolen equipment has been recovered.