New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested Central Council of Homeopathy president Ramjee Singh and a private person Harishankar Jha on Saturday for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 20 lakh to give a favourable inspection report for setting up of a homeopathy college.
The agency said that Jha was allegedly working as middleman for Singh and demanded Rs 20 lakh for getting the clearance. Jha, who runs a hotel in Mahipalpur, was caught while taking Rs 20 lakh bribe through hawala channels.
During interrogation, Jha told the agency sleuths that the bribe was meant for Singh who was also arrested by the agency.
The agency has registered a corruption case under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Ramjee Singh President of Central Council of Homeopathy at Jawaharlal Nehru Bhartiya Chikitsa Avum Homeopathic Anusandhan Bhawan in New Delhi, Harishankar Jha a resident of Gurgaon in Haryana, Assistant Director (Homeopathy) at Indian Systems of Medicine & Homeopathy (Ayush), Health and Family Welfare at Gujarat; one of the trustees and Vice President of a private University in Bhavnagar Highway Kasturbadham in Gujarat; a Professor of a Homeopathic Medical College in Jabalpur at Madhya Pradesh; an official of National Institute of Homeopathy at Department of Ayush in Kolkata; an official of a Homeopathy College and Hospital in Rohtak and unknown others.
It was alleged that a private University based at Rajkot had applied for setting of a new Homeopathy college and the vice president of the said University was in a regular contact with both the Singh and Jha for getting inspection carried out by such team of Inspectors of who would give favourable inspection report.
Singh deputed a three member team including a Professor of Homeopathy Medical College in Jabalpur and two others from National Institute of Homeopathy in Kolkata and Homeopathy College and Hospital in Rohtak to conduct the inspection.
The inspection was conducted during September, 2016. Singh had allegedly demanded illegal gratification and the part amount of which Rs 20 lakh was to be delivered in New Delhi and the same was to be collected from a hawala operator.
They agency laid a trap to apprehend the accused persons. Jha has obtained an alleged bribe of Rs 20 lakh on behalf of Singh. Singh and the private person were subsequently arrested.
Searches were conducted at Delhi, Rohtak, Gurgaon, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Jabalpur & Kolkata including the official and residential premises of accused persons and others which led to recovery of incriminating documents.