Court charges AIIMS officials with corruption

New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) A Delhi court has framed corruption and cheating charges against a store officer of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and four others.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge L.K. Gaur, in a recently pronounced order, framed graft charges against R.L. Prasad, who was working as a store officer at AIIMS during 1996-98, and four others.

The other accused are retired junior store officer Ram Phal, S.S. Bhudauria, S.D. Sharma and Rajiv Rastogi, proprietor of Rajiv Enterprises.

The court said: "The common object of which was to commit certain offences to cheat AIIMS by causing wrongful loss to it to the tune of about Rs.181,915.36 plus some more unspecified amount and pecuniary advantage of the same amount to accused Rastogi."

Prasad allegedly conspired with other accused and caused losses to AIIMS by buying medical products from Rajiv Enterprises.

The court said that it is also apparent that in all cases where supply had been placed ignoring the rate contract the supply had been made by Rajiv Enterprises.

"During the period from 1996 to 1998 all of you were party to a criminal conspiracy along with M.L. Sharma (proclaimed offender) and C.S. Rawat (deceased working as then administrative officer)," said the court.

The court observed that accused has abused their position as public servants and committed offence.

"Rajiv enterprises was not unknown to the official of the AIIMS, he had been a regular supplier of various items to AIIMS," said the court.