VO, Govt shielded officers 2 yrs ago, FIR after intervention of CS
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Aug 1: Two years after shielding the officers involved in spurious drug scam in Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) by asking for Regular Departmental Action (RDA) instead of criminal proceedings against them, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case.
The ACB registered a case (FIR No. 15/2019-ACBJ dated 03/07/2019) against Dr Abdul Kabir Dar, Director ISM, and other officers and officials of the ISM for misusing official position in spurious drug scam during 2016. The ISM officials had purchased spurious drugs from various companies by accepting bribe and VO (now ACB) had found graft money transferred by one company in the bank account of one of the members of the Inspection Committee.
Six medicines – Kaishore Gugglu, Prostate Fort, Syp. Systonex, Jaytyadi Taila, Raj Parvartanivati and Syp. Tens off- supplied by the ISM to its stores, dispensaries and hospitals in Jammu region in 2016 and even consumed by the patients, were found sub-standard and containing fungal matter and other pathogens.
After the case was handed over to the ACB (then Vigilance Organization), it instead of initiating criminal proceedings, asked (Vide No. VO-JMU-JSC-07/2016-12444-45 dated 27-07-2017) the Government to take the RDA against the accused Abdul Kabir Dar, the then Director ISM, Rakesh Kumar Shan, Chairman of Verification Board/Medicine Inspection Committee, Dr Anil Kant Gupta, ADMO Udhampur, Member of Verification Board/Medicine Inspection Committee, Dr Rohit Gupta, Nodal Officer, District Samba, Member of Verification Board/Medicine Inspection Committee, Dr Rakesh Kumar Raina, Drug Inspectior ISM and Dr Shujaat Hussain Shuja, Drug Inspector ISM.
Again the GAD and Health and Medical Education Department came to the rescue of these officers and instead of taking the RDA they ordered an inquiry (Govt order No. 627-HME of 2018 dated 19-11-2018) against the accused officers that too after the lapse of 17 months.
It was the Vigilance Commission that was not satisfied with the VO and said that the act of the officials warranted criminal proceedings and not the RDA. The Commission (ADAK letter No 71 dated 15-01-2018) had said it failed to understand the reasons as to why a formal case was not registered by the Vigilance Organization (now ACB) after graft money was found in the bank account of one of the members of the Inspection Committee.
“The Commission found that Joint Surprise Check had established criminal mis-conduct on the part of Dr. Rohit Gupta, who was a member of Inspection Committee as Rs. 95000/- had been transferred from the account of M/S Drugs Pharma to his bank account”.
The Commission had asked the Chief Secretary (No. SVC/JSC/34/2018 Dated 22-01-2018) for appropriate action against the officials on the basis of its observations. And now after a year has passed, the ACB registered a case against the accused officials.
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