HYDERABAD: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), which is investigating irregularities in the purchase of medicines by officials of Insurance Medical Services (IMS), suspect that the scam could be worth Rs 500 crore. Following the arrest of Cherukuri Nagaraju, marketing manager of Omni Medi for his alleged role in the scam for embezzling lakhs of rupees, the agency officials have also arrested as many as 22 persons including former officials of IMS for colluding with private persons and pharma companies.
The investigators, who questioned a number of suspects and accused in connection with the case, were understood to have collected details of fake bills of medicine indents for Rs 500 crore. “Some pharma companies including those of accused No 1 K Srihari Babu alias Babji, of Omni Medi, had offered gifts, commission and other valuables to IMS officials and siphoned off funds by submitting fake bills for the indents placed with them. The former director of IMS Ch Devika Rani and other officials directly or indirectly had accepted kickbacks,” ACB officials said.
During the investigation, the ACB officials found that the accused Bhupal Reddy and R Nagender Reddy, who were arrested a few days ago, have colluded with another accused P Rajeswar Reddy and Srinivas Reddy of Teja Pharma by setting up 25 shell companies under benami names for swindling IMS funds.
K Veeranna, superintendent of Devika Rani’s office used to collect bribes from pharma companies on her behalf. Meanwhile, ED officials have also registered cases against Devika Rani for illegal money transactions.