CBI arrests Colonel for leaking information

New Delhi: The CBI on Monday arrested a serving soldier, Col Ajay Kumar Singh of the Army Medical Corps, and three others for leaking sensitive information about inspections, number of seats and other such matters being dealt by the Medical Council of India (MCI) with regard to various colleges.

Apart from Singh, those held include Santosh Kumar, a lower division clerk in MCI, and two private persons Susheel Kumar and Sachin Kumar. They were arrested from Delhi.

The suspects were produced before a city court which sent them to a five-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody.

The agency also conducted searches at nine places in Delhi, Chennai and Puducherry, including Singh's Anuj Vihar residence here, and recovered Rs 2 crore in cash along with some incriminating documents.

Santosh Kumar's residence hereand a private medical college was also raided.

Singh, who is empanelled as 'assessor' in the MCI, was about to receive Rs 10 lakh bribe through two hawala operators.

Susheel Kumar, resident of Sagarpur in west Delhi, was caught while taking the Rs 10 lakh from the two hawala operators at Chandni Chowk as alleged gratification on behalf of both public servants.

The CBI move comes two days after it registered a case against the suspects under charges of Prevention of Corruption Act and criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code.

The four arrested were allegedly running a racket of leaking sensitive information related to inspections, recognition of courses, number of seats and other similar administrative matters being dealt with by the MCI with regard to various medical colleges and institutions.

The chairman of Sri Venkateshwara Medical College Hospital and Research Centre in Puducherry, B. Ramachandhiran, has also been named as an accused by the CBI in its FIR registered on Saturday.

In its FIR, the CBI said "reliable information was received that Santosh Kumar was in regular contact with B. Ramachandhiran for sharing sensitive information and helping them with respect to some administrative matter regarding inspections and approvals related to the aforesaid medical college being dealt with by the MCI".

"Santosh Kumar was also in touch with Colonel Ajay Kumar Singh of the AMC who is empanelled as an Assessor with the MCI for inspecting various medical colleges," it said, adding both were in regular touch with Ramachandhiran, had personal meetings in this regard and demanded illegal gratification for rendering support and providing information at regular intervals.

The FIR claimed Ramachandhiran had delivered one instalment of the bribe to the duo recently.

"Singh and Kumar again contacted Ramachandhiran and demanded remaining illegal gratification to them in lieu of showing favour by way of providing the aforesaid information and to provide help in inspections," the FIR stated.

"They are engaging with the owners or management of these medical institutions for obtaining huge periodical illegal gratification," it added.