Hyderabad: The ACB filed a charge sheet on Thursday against former Nims financial controller V. Sridhar regarding the multi crore fraud in the purchase of medical equipment.
Sridhar was arrested for his role in allocating the tender for the purchase of medical equipment for the operation theatre to Global Life Services who quoted Rs 41 lakh more than the lowest bidder.
Earlier, in July the ACB had filed a charge sheet against former Nims director A. Dharma Rakshak, former medical superintendent D. Mukund Reddy, and Surya Prakash Reddy, the managing partner of Global Life Services and Vikas Khanna, the then South Asia manager of Berchtold under Sections 13 (1) (d) of the PC Act and section 120-B and 34 of IPC.
After the bids were submitted, a two-member committee checked them and submitted a report to the managing committee saying that Collaq Marketing, the lower bidder (L1 bidder) and Global Life Services (L2 bidder) were eligible for granting the tenders.
"Though Sridhar was not a part of the technical committee he colluded with them and signed a note file recommending the tender to be allotted to the L2 bidder who quoted more than the L1 bidder," an ACB official said.
As per his recommendation, the tender was allocated to L1 bidder, causing a loss of Rs 41 lakh to the government. Sridhar's name was included in the charge sheet after taking approval from the Board of directors of Nims, as he was still in service.
The ACB had registered a case against former Nims director Dharma Rakshak and others under the PC Act and IPC in November 2015 for violating tender norms while awarding medical equipment supply contracts in 2012.
After a eight month probe, the ACB filed a charge sheet in July against Dharma Rakshak, D. Mukund Reddy, former medical superintendent of Nims, Surya Prakash Reddy, managing partner of Global Life Services and Vikas Khanna, the then South Asia manager of Berchtold company under sections 13 (1) (d) of the PC Act and section 120-B r/w 34 of the IPC.
As per tender norms, the contract for the supply of equipment should be awarded to manufacturing firms or their authorised dealers. However, Nims officials entered into a conspiracy with Vikas Khanna and Surya Prakash Reddy and awarded contracts for the supply of operation tables and lights to Global Life Services.
