ED Crackdown on Chhattisgarh's Rs 500-Crore Medical Supply Scam

The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids in Chhattisgarh related to a Rs 500-crore medical supply scam. The scam involved government officials and suppliers purchasing medical equipment at inflated prices, causing a major loss to the state. Six individuals were charged in connection with the scam, which took place from January 2022 to October 2023.

In an ongoing investigation into an alleged Rs 500-crore medical supply scam, the Enforcement Directorate executed raids across multiple locations in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The probe targets the previous Congress regime and involves government officials and suppliers accused of inflating the prices of medical equipment.

Raids were conducted in Raipur, Durg, and adjoining areas, focusing on premises linked to government officials, medical suppliers, agents, and middlemen. The efforts are part of a broader investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act stemming from a chargesheet initially filed by the Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offences Wing.

The chargesheet, spanning 18,000 pages, implicates six individuals, including Mokshit Corporation's director Shashank Chopda. Authorities allege that purchases were made at exorbitant prices, with an EDTA tube procured at Rs 2,352, compared to a market rate of Rs 8.50, and a CBC machine provided at Rs 17 lakh, far above its market value of Rs 5 lakh.

(With inputs from agencies.)