CBI nabs serving Colonel, MCI officials for leaking information

New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested a serving army colonel, Ajay Kumar Singh, posted in Army Medical Corps, along with three others for running a racket of leaking sensitive information related to inspections, recognition of courses, number of seats and other similar administrative matters being dealt by the Medical Council of India (MCI) with regard to various medical colleges and institutes.

Singh, who is empaneled as 'assessor' in the Medical Council of India was about to receive Rs 10 lakh bribe through two hawala operators. Along with Singh, CBI has arrested his main accomplish in crime - a lower division clerk (LDC) in MCI - Santosh Kumar and two private middlemen - Sushil Kumar, who was supposed to carry the bribe money on behalf of the Colonel, and one Sachin Kumar.

The agency has informed army headquarters about the arrest. The CBI has taken them into 5 days custody. Searches were also conducted at Delhi, Chennai and Puducherry, including premises of accused persons which led to the recovery of about Rs 2 crore and incriminating documents.

After registering a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, CBI teams conducted raids at nine places in Delhi, including Colonel Singh's Anuj Vihar residence, the office of a private medical college and LDC.

The chairman of Sri Venkateshwara Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in Puducherry, B Ramachandhiran, has also been named as an accused by the CBI in its FIR.

The central investigating agency had received reliable information that Santosh Kumar was in regular contact with Ramachandhiran for sharing sensitive information and helping them with respect to some administrative matter regarding inspections and approvals related to the aforesaid medical college being dealt with by the MCI.

"Kumar was also in regular touch with Colonel Singh of AMC, who was empanelled as an Assessor with the MCI for inspecting various medical colleges," the CBI FIR said, adding that both public servants were in regular touch with Ramachandhiran and had personal meetings in this regard. According to CBI, Ramachandhiran delivered one installment of illegal gratification to Singh and Kumar recently.

The accused Colonel and LDC again contacted Ramachandhiran and demanded the remaining installment of the illegal gratification to them in lieu of showing favour by way of providing the aforesaid information and to provide help in inspections, the CBI FIR said.