CBI takes over probe against Gehlot, Pilot in ambulance scam

The CBI on Friday took over the ambulance scam in which former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Congress leader Sachin Pilot, Karti Chidambram (son of former Union Minister P Chidambaram) and Ravi Krishna (son of former Union Minister Vayalar Ravi) are accused. The agency re-registered the case earlier filed by the Rajasthan Police following a request from the State Government. Rajasthan Police’s FIR, filed in June last year immediately after the BJP returned to power in the State, has named Gehlot, Pilot, Krishna and Karti Chidmabaram — directors in the private firm Ziquitza. 

Soon after taking over the case from the State Police, the agency conducted searches on the premises of Ziquitza, named in the case as an accused firm, in Jaipur and Mumbai. 

It issued a brief statement saying the agency has registered a case against the directors of a private firm and public servants for alleged irregularities in the award of the tender in favour of the firm by deliberately inserting technical specification. The irregularities in the implementation of the project included excess bills claimed by the firm and paid to them. 

Alleged financial irregularities to the tune of Rs 14 crore in operating the ambulance service allegedly occurred during the previous Congress regime. 

The Rajasthan Police, which also named officials of Ziqitza Healthcare, had filed the FIR on the basis of a probe into a complaint filed by former Jaipur Mayor Pankaj Joshi.

Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) was investigating the case in which besides these names, former state Health Minister AA Khan, Sweta Mangal, the then CEO of Ziquitza Healthcare, Shaffi Mather, former Economic Advisor to Kerala CM Oommen Chandy and the NRHM Director were also named.

In 2009, Ziqitza Healthcare, a company run by Ravi Krishna, received a tender to operate 108 ambulances across Rajasthan, Bihar and Punjab. An audit report by the health department in Rajasthan found huge financial irregularities in the way the ambulances were operated, with losses reportedly amounting to Rs.14 crore. 

During the run up to the Assembly election in Rajasthan, the BJP had accused the Congress of giving the tender to Ziqitza Healthcare because of the organisation’s political connections after it was revealed that Pilot and Chidambaram had also served as its directors.

. Private firm Ziquitza and its directors are also named in the case. The allegations in the case are that technical specifications were tweaked to favour the company whose premises in Mumbai and Jaipur were searched by the CBI on Friday. Others named in the FIR earlier filed by the State police include former state health minister AA Khan, Karti Chidambaram, Ravi Krishna (son of Vayalar Ravi) among others. (Rakesh)