Money-laundering probe against Patna Medical College former Superintendent;ED attaches property worth 3 crore

Written by Sanchari Chattopadhyay Published On 2020-11-07T09:30:41+05:30 | Updated On 7 Nov 2020 9:30 AM IST

Money-laundering probe against Patna Medical College former Superintendent;ED attaches property worth 3 crore

Patna: In a money-laundering case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth over Rs 3 crore against the former superintendent of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), the probe agency informed on Friday. This came after the authorities initiated a probe against the former superintendent who was serving in the institution from 2008 to 2010 and found that the superintendent along with the deputy superintendent and faculty head of PMCH purchased supplies at a much higher rate than prescribed by the government guidelines which resulted in a loss of government funds.

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PTI reports that the properties were attached as part of a provisional order issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The attached properties included plots and flats in Patna, Ghaziabad, Pune and Bengaluru, three four-wheelers and some balance in bank accounts, it said. The total value of the attached properties is Rs 3.14 crore.

Free Press Journal reports that the agency had initiated an investigation under PMLA against the medical superintendent and others on the basis of FIRs registered by Special Vigilance Unit, Bihar for commissioning of offenses under section 120B and 420 of IPC read with section 13 (1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Probe found, the central agency said in a statement, that "medicines, chemicals, equipments and machines were purchased by the officials of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) during 2008-09 and 2009-10 from local vendors and commission agents contrary to guidelines prescribed for purchase of these items."

According to PTI, the ED alleged that "The then superintendent (O P Choudhary), the then deputy superintendent and the concerned faculty head of PMCH at that time and others in connivance with the suppliers had purchased medicines, chemicals reagents, machines and equipments at a higher rate and in much higher quantity than the required quantity which resulted in loss to the government exchequer." The agency had slapped criminal sections of the PMLA against Choudhary and others after studying a 2017 FIR of the special vigilance unit of Bihar on the matter.

ED attaches Plots, Flats in Patna, Ghaziabad, Pune, Bangalore & vehicles, balances in bank accounts totaling to ₹ 3.14 Crores belonging to Om Prakash Choudhary, Former Medical Superintendent, Patna Medical College & others under PMLA in the case of criminal misconduct & cheating
— ED (@dir_ed) November 6, 2020

Patna Medical Collegemoney launderingEnforcement DirectoratesuperintendentPMCHproperties attachedinvestigation

Source : with agency inputs

Sanchari Chattopadhyay

Sanchari Chattopadhyay has pursued her M.A in English and Culture Studies from the University of Burdwan, West Bengal. She likes observing cultural specificities and exploring new places.