Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital officials held for accepting Rs. 4-lakh bribe
Monday 5, July 2016
A Complainant had approached the National Consumer Commission in New Delhi with grievances against the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Parel, Mumbai and the Commission had ordered the hospital to pay him compensation.
Gajanan Bhagat (48) the medical superintendent and Kishore Wagh (42) medical records librarian allegedly demanded Rs. 4 lakhs from the Complainant to sanction the payment, and asked him to hand over the money to a middleman Sandesh Kamble, after which he approached the ACB.
As the complainant could only come up with Rs. 1 lakh in cash, the ACB hid fake currency notes amid real ones to give the impression that the full bribe amount was being paid to the accused.
“The complainant had several conversations with the accused after we initiated inquiries, and in all these conversations, the accused refused to lower the bribe money and were unwilling to accept it in instalments. The complainant was able to come up with Rs. 1 lakh in cash. So, we hid toy currency notes used in board games amid real ones to give the impression that the full amount was being paid when we laid a trap,” said an ACB officer.
The Mumbai unit of the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau laid a trap and the arrested all three while accepting the money.
They have been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Searches are currently under way at the offices and residences of Bhagat and Wagh.
