Himachal health 'scam': Punjab firm employee get bail

A court here on Friday granted bail to the Punjab firm employee arrested in connection with a bribery case involving the director of health services in Himachal Pradesh. Special Judge Arvind Malhotra granted bail to Prithvi Singh after he had been remanded in six-day police custody. He was released on conditional bail. Meanwhile, the owner of the Punjab firm, Bio Aid Corporation, moved an anticipatory bail application in the matter, which is listed for hearing on Monday, Vigilance Bureau SP Shalini Agnihotri said.

The anticipatory bail pleas of now suspended Director (Health Services) Ajay Kumar Gupta and his wife were dismissed by the court after hearing arguments of the bureau. Gupta was arrested on May 20 over allegations of corruption in the purchase of personal protection equipment (PPE) kits.

A 43-second audio recording had surfaced online, in which Gupta purportedly asked for a bribe of Rs 5 lakh from the arrested employee, Prithvi Singh. Even, state BJP president Rajeev Bindal had to resign from his post on 'moral grounds' as he was close to Singh, a liasioning officer of Dera Bassi-based firm Bio Aid in Punjab.