Two accused have been arrested from Delhi in connection with the fraud in the purchase of equipment. The EOW team arrested them from New Delhi Airport on Friday  with the help of Central Industrial Security Force.

The accused were brought from Delhi to Rewa, and after this they were produced in the Special Court in Anuppur on Saturday. Both the accused Jitendra Tiwari, Director M/s Science House Medical Private Limited and Shailendra Tiwari are residents of Gautam Nagar Bhopal.

In Anuppur, the jumbo size oxygen cylinder available for Rs 10999 was purchased for Rs 16900 and the RF kit worth Rs 68 was purchased for Rs 4156. Here 14 equipment were purchased by MP Public Health Corporation at a price many times higher than the approved rate.

This was revealed during the investigation of the equipments purchased in Anuppur between the years 2019 to 2022. The matter was investigated by the Economic Offences Investigation Bureau (EOW). On the basis of the investigation report, EOW had registered a case against the then CMHO, ADM. Also, an FIR was lodged against 5 operators of 3 firms supplying the equipment. All of them are residents of Bhopal.

According to the investigation report of EOW - equipment was purchased to provide better treatment to the patients in Anuppur District Hospital and other health institutions. For this, a budget of more than Rs 7.11 crore was given under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana. Which was purchased by the then CMHO Dr. BD Sonwani, Civil Surgeon Dr. SR Paraste and ADM BD Singh.

Orders for purchase of 778 types of equipment were given to 3 firms of a family living in Gautam Nagar, Bhopal. At the same time, one piece of equipment was purchased from a firm in Katni. In which the approved rate of MP Public Health Corporation Bhopal was ignored, and machines were purchased at 61 times more expensive rate. In this case of equipment purchase, the concerned firms have benefited by more than 33 lakh rupees.

In November 2019, Anuppur District Health Department had issued purchase tenders. Tenders were submitted by 5 people. Tenders of four were not opened and one person was benefited. In this tender of about 7 crores, 5 crores were also paid. After this, a complaint was made in the Economic Offenses Wing Bhopal in December 2020. After investigation, a case was registered on zero in Rewa EOW in March 2021.

Rewa Economic Offenses Wing was authorized for investigation. The team reached the Anuppur CMHO office on 3 August 2023. Then the CMHO Dr. BD Sonwani was present there. The team members seized the documents related to the fraud in his presence. This action was carried out by the team under the leadership of Ashish Mishra Sub Inspector, Ghanshyam Tripathi Head Constable. After a long investigation of four years, Bhopal EOW registered a case on 27 March 2024 and made 13 people accused in this case.

The name of the then ADM of Anuppur BD Singh is also included among the accused. He was then the chairman of the purchase committee. He has died during the investigation, but his name is in the FIR. At the same time, a case has been registered against the other accused under 420, 409, 120 B, IPC and 13 (1) A, 13 (2) V.N.A. 1988 Amendment Act 2018.

EOW's investigation so far has revealed that the then CMHO Dr. BD Sonwani was a member of the committee headed by the then ADM BD Singh formed for purchases from the budget approved under the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana. Dr. Sonwani, who was the CMHO, had conspired to exclude eligible drug supply firms from tendering. For this, the CMHO, Civil Surgeon and the store keeper and accountant of the drug store did not even prepare a data table of the offered rates for the sale of equipment in the tendering. Not only this, during tendering, the drug supplier who offered a lower rate was excluded from tendering to make the firm whose rates were the highest eligible.

EOW's investigation revealed that 13 types of equipment were purchased from M/s Sinco India Limited Indore, M/s Science House Medical Private Limited and Anusels Corporation Private Limited. The directors of all three firms live in Gautam Nagar, Bhopal. Also, the relationship between the directors of the firm is that of father-son and daughter-in-law.

These accused were  Dr. BD Sonwani, then Chief Medical Officer, Anuppur, Ramkhelavan Patel, then Store Keeper, Office of CMHO, Anuppur,  Mahesh Kumar Dixit, then Accountant Office / CMHO District Anuppur, BD Singh, then ADM Anuppur

Dr. SR Paraste, then Civil Surgeon / Anuppur MP and Chairman Purchase Committee District Hospital, Anuppur,

Dr. BP Shukla Medical Specialist and BMO / Community Health Center, Jaithari District Anuppur and, Member Purchase Committee, Anuppur, Dr. DK Kori, Anesthesia Specialist District Hospital / Anuppur and Member Purchase Committee, Anuppur.