BHOPAL: Economic Offences Wing has written to Registrar of Companies (RoC), Gwalior seeking information about the shell companies involved in fake medicine and equipment supply scam in state health department. The agency has also sought information from commercial tax department and Chhattisgarh health department on the same lines.
EOW has registered a complaint against the then health department top officials including the principal secretaries, directors, chief medical and health officers and others for ripping off the government of more Rs 500 crore.
As per the complaint, allegedly one contractor Ashok Nanda had managed to bag most of the supplies’ contract of the department from year 2003- 2010. The contractor committed huge anomalies and did not adhere to the contract conditions. Many of the articles were not supplied in required quantity, some of them were supplied on papers only. Most of products supplied were of substandard quality.
Sources at EOW informed that more than 20 shell companies had taken the supply contract and after taking the amount they all disappeared. Most of companies were in Kolkata.
In a letter to RoC, the probe agency has sought detailed information about the companies including their address, details of proprietor or directors, their bank account and others facts..
A letter has also been sent to commercial tax department (earlier known as sale tax department) seeking information about the health department’s tax deduction, tax paid by company and other taxation details.
In a letter written to bank, the authorities have been asked to furnish transaction details of these companies. Through the bank, the EOW would come to know the person operating the bank account of the company and their addresses.
The aim behind the whole exercise is to trace the people operating the shell companies from behind and initiate legal action against them.
A notice was served on the health department to provide all the tender files from year 2003 to 2010. It has also been asked to inform about their tender process and changes effected from time to time.
Agency writes to Chh’garh health dept: The scam is extended to neighbouring Chhattisgarh state also. The EOW traced one of the shell companies ‘Chhattisgarh Pharmaceuticals’ which has taken supply contract in MP and also in Chhattisgarh. A letter was sent to Chhatisgarh health department seeking details of the tenders given to companies and also the supply details. The list of companies had been enclosed with the letter.
