High-Profile Corruption Cases in Forest and Health Departments
In a significant development in the fight against corruption in Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has sanctioned two separate investigations, targeting corruption in the Forest Department and the Health Department. This move underscores the administration’s commitment to upholding integrity and transparency in government operations.
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been authorized to investigate a substantial corruption case involving two officials from the Department of Forests and Wildlife. The case, involving a staggering amount of Rs 223 crore, centers around the alleged misconduct of Parasnath Yadav and Alam Singh Rawat, who held the positions of senior account officer and assistant account officer, respectively.
The CBI’s investigation focuses on the duo’s involvement in a criminal conspiracy with LA Khan, the then senior branch manager of Bank of Baroda, Paharganj Branch, Delhi, and others. The conspiracy allegedly entailed the unauthorized transfer of Rs 223 crore from the ‘SUNDRY’ account to fake savings accounts in the name of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). This transfer was reportedly facilitated using a forged letter purportedly issued by the Department of Forests and Wildlife, Government of Delhi.
Yadav, a Group ‘A’ officer, is currently serving as Pay and Accounts Officer in the Principal Accounts Office. The request for the CBI investigation was forwarded to the Lieutenant Governor by the Directorate of Vigilance through the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA). Rawat, on the other hand, is presently an Accounts Officer at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Pitampura. The Directorate of Vigilance has indicated that preliminary investigations by the CBI have established a prima facie involvement of the two officials in these financial irregularities.
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In addition to the Forest Department case, Lieutenant Governor Saxena has also approved an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) against two senior nurses from a Delhi Government-run hospital. The case involves Chanchal Rani Pisalla and Rajnesh Verma, who were previously employed at GB Pant Hospital as deputy nursing superintendent and nursing officer, respectively.
The ACB alleges that Pisalla and Verma demanded bribes of Rs 60,000 each from two nursing officers in exchange for granting them ‘light duty.’ Furthermore, one of the nursing officers claimed to have already paid Rs 42,000 to Pisalla and Verma for an exemption from duty at the Covid-19 desk. Pisalla is currently posted at Guru Nanak Eye Centre, while Verma is at Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital.
Both investigations have been approved under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, reflecting the Lieutenant Governor’s resolve to address corruption at all levels of government. These probes are a clear message that corrupt practices, regardless of their nature or the stature of the involved officials, will not be tolerated in Delhi’s governance.
