Rajasthan ACB arrests govt hospital official, 2 others for taking bribes

The financial advisor of a government hospital here and two others were arrested for allegedly taking bribes of Rs 15.6 lakh, Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials said.

The accused were arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Thursday night, they said.

The accused had demanded a bribe of Rs 5 crore to clear a bill for the installation of a radiotherapy machine in Sawai Man Singh Hospital from the complainant, who runs a private hospital, ACB Director General B L Soni said on Friday.

After verification of the complaint, a trap was laid and SMS Hospital’s financial advisor Brijbhushan Sharma was arrested while accepting a bribe of Rs 7.80 lakh, he said.

Two officers of the Rajasthan Medicare Relief Society (RMRS) of SMS Hospital — cashier Ajay Sharma and assistant accounts officer Prakash Sharma — were also arrested while taking another bribe of Rs 7.80 lakh, Soni said.

Medical officer in-charge of RMRS-SMS Hospital Adhokakshaz Joshi was also detained in connection with the matter, he said.

During a search, Soni said, unaccounted cash worth Rs 50 lakh was recovered from the house of Ajay Sharma.

Further searches at residences and other premises of the accused are underway, he said.