HYDERABAD: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) sleuths, who registered criminal cases against officials of the Insurance Medical Service (IMS), for causing a loss of Rs 11.69 crore to government exchequer in purchasing medicines, conducted searches at the residences of 17 government officials and four private persons including a V6 television channel reporter on Thursday and seized incriminatory documents.
Following the government’s nod, the agency had taken up the investigation into irregularities and corruption in Insurance Medical Services. It was found that the IMS director and other officials including a TV channel reporter indulged in offence in diverting government funds to personnel accounts by making fake indents, falsification of records, violating rules and regulations in purchasing the medicines, surgical kits causing to loss to the government to the tune of `11.50 crore.
“Medicines worth `1.22 crore were indented and received by Dr K Padma but the stock was not seen at the dispensaries of Bollaram and Bonthapally in May 2018. IMS Director Devika Rani, assistant director Dr K Vasantha Indira and others have caused loss to the government of `9.43 crore in the purchase of medicines through Special drug dispensing Unit (SDDU) in local purchase instead of rate contract during the year 2017-1018,” the ACB officials said. C
Telugu TV channel V6 reporter K Narender Reddy acted as benami to an officer in supplying the medicines. He obtained one lakh rupees in his name illegally from the IMS. Other medical agents have played a key role in posing as pharma suppliers and obtained amount from the IMS director and other officers by offering commission.
Armed with inquiry reports, the ACB conducted searches and seized some incriminatory documents.
Cases registered
The ACB officials registered cases against 17 IMS officers and four private persons including a TV channel reporter under Section 13 (1) (c) (d), 7 (a), 13 (a), read with 13 (2) of Prevention of Corruption Act and 477 (a) (Falsification of accounts), 465 (Punishment for forgery), 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (Using as genuine a forged 1[document or electronic record), 420 (cheating) read with 120 B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 of IPC.