... Also raids Delhi health minister’s OSD

A team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday carried out searches at the office of Dr Nikunj Aggarwal, who was an officer on special duty (OSD) with Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain.

Earlier on Thursday, an FIR against Aggarwal was lodged in connection with Dr Aggarwal’s appointment as a senior resident at Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, where he was working as a junior resident. Dr Nikunj Aggarwal has discontinued as an OSD with the minister since 30 October when his name first figured in the appointment controversy.

Reportedly, the FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint from Delhi government’s Deputy Secretary Vigilance K S Meena.

In the complaint, Meena alleged that no advertisement was issued by the hospital for the selection of Dr Nikunj Aggarwal as a senior resident. No walk-in interview was conducted for the purpose, the complaint added.

In its complaint, the vigilance department has claimed that Aggarwal was appointed as a senior resident (Ortho) in the hospital on an ad-hoc basis on 10 August, 2015, even though there was no proposal to engage a senior resident and no such post was available. A senior officer of the Delhi government said that as far Aggarwal’s appointment as an OSD is concerned, it is the prerogative of the minister to appoint anyone as an OSD.

Another CBI team raided the office of Anup Mohta, Director of Chacha Nehru Bal Chkitsalaya in east Delhi’s Geeta Colony. Former LG Najeeb Jung had referred the matter to CBI in November. The agency has not named Jain in its FIR, registered under provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act, but it has mentioned “unknown officials of Delhi government”.

“Within a few days of appointment of Aggarwal, his services were requisitioned for appointment as OSD to Minister of Health, GNCTD. As per the Residency Scheme, the resident doctors are engaged for working in hospitals, and not for other duties,” it alleged. BJP leader Vijender Gupta had in July this year alleged that Aggarwal is the son-in-law of Delhi CM Kejriwal’s sister-in-law.