Pune: Army authorities here on Wednesday accused a
CBI team, which had recently conducted a "surprise check" at
its Command hospital, of "faltering in procedure" and
"sensationalising" the raid and stated that the matter would
be taken up with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for resolution.
Addressing a press conference here, Brig. Rajbir Singh,
Pune Sub-area Commander, said, "We are not contemplating any
legal action against CBI which has faltered in following
procedure during the surprise check and lodged a false
complaint against Commandant of the hospital Maj Gen S S
Panwar accusing him of obstructing its work. We are, however,
taking up the matter with the MoD to resolve it at the highest
level."
The controversy had erupted after a CBI-Anti-Corruption
Bureau team carried out a "surprise check" at the Command
hospital here last week and seized an AC unit from its
premises, acting on a complaint by a medical goods vendor who
had alleged irregularities in purchases on part of the
hospital authorities with a claim that he had installed a one
tonne AC unit as an illegal gratification.
The CBI superintendent Vidya Kulkarni had filed an FIR
against Maj Gen Panwar for "obstructing" the agency`s work and
not cooperating with the team during the check.
Brig. Singh said the Command hospital authorities fully
cooperated with the CBI team although it was necessary for the
CBI officials to intimate the local sub area authorities and
seek prior permission for carrying out such checks on an Army
unit as per the government policy and rules.
On the seizure of the AC unit, he said it had been
installed by the complainant vendor "willingly" in the
vendors` room in the hospital for their own comfort and could
not be construed as "bribe".
Brig. Singh said the vendor had filed a false complaint
against the hospital after he was blacklisted by the
authorities for supplying spurious medicines and banned in
September 2010.
"The CBI made irresponsible, derogatory, inflammatory
statements against the Command hospital and lodged a false
complaint against the hospital Commandant accusing him of
obstructing its work and has thus vitiated the atmosphere," he
claimed.
To a question, the Sub area commander however, admitted
that the seized AC unit was not documented in the hospital and
it was not a practice to accept "gifts" from vendors.
"We will investigate this matter", Brig Singh said,
adding that the army would uphold the highest standards of
ethics and discipline and wrongdoers would not be spared.
PTI
