Delhi: Permission granted to CBI to probe against alleged Rs 223-crore corruption case in Forest department

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Lt Governor VK Saxena has granted permission for a CBI investigation against two officials of the Delhi government's Forests and Wildlife department in an alleged Rs 223-crore corruption case, Raj Niwas officials said on Wednesday.

In another case, Saxena has given his go-ahead to the Anti-Corruption Branch to conduct an investigation against two senior nurses of a Delhi government hospital in an alleged bribery case involving Rs 60,000, they added.

In both the cases, Saxena approved the proposals for investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act.
He observed that it is in the interest of justice to investigate and conduct inquiries against the accused, the Raj Niwas officials said. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against Parasnath Yadav and Alam Singh Rawat, the then senior account officer and the assistant account officer, respectively, in the Forests and Wildlife department for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with LA Khan -- the erstwhile senior branch manager of Bank of Baroda's Paharganj branch -- and others.

They were allegedly involved in transferring Rs 223 crore "illegally" and "unauthorisedly" from the 'SUNDRY' account to a fake savings account in the name of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) at the same branch on the basis of a forged letter, purportedly issued by the Forests and Wildlife department, the officials said.

A file seeking permission to investigate Yadav under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act by the CBI was submitted to Saxena by the Directorate of Vigilance through the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA). The Directorate of Vigilance stated that the CBI, in a letter dated July 12, 2023, submitted that the investigations conducted so far prima facie brought forward the role of two officials in the case of alleged financial irregularities pertaining to the Forest and Wildlife department.

In the alleged bribery case against two women Health department staff, the Anti-Corruption Branch accused them of demanding Rs 60,000 each from two nursing officers for allowing them "light duty". The accused have been identified as Chanchal Rani Pisalla and Rajnesh Verma, then posted at the GB Pant Hospital as deputy nursing superintendent and nursing officer, respectively.

One of the nursing officers also alleged that both the accused had already taken Rs 42,000 for exemption of duty from the COVID-19 desk.

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