Safdarjung Hospital Neurosurgeon Among 5 Arrested By CBI On Corruption Charges

The CBI conducted a raid in Delhi to uncover a link between doctors at Safdarjung Hospital and a middleman. The agency has held a few people, including a doctor from the neurosurgery department.

CBI action on corruption in Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, raids several locations (Representational Image)

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday (March 30) arrested a neurosurgeon from Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital and four accomplices who allegedly forced patients to buy surgical equipment from a specific establishment at exorbitant prices. 

CBI conducted a raid in Delhi to expose a nexus between Safdarjung Hospital doctors and middleman. Few people including a doctor from the neurosurgery department and middlemen have been apprehended by the agency. CBI has found some increment documents, the official said that the…

— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2023

The agency raided several Delhi and Uttar Pradesh locations linked to Manish Rawat, the neurosurgeon, and busted the nefarious nexus, news agency PTI reported citing officials. 

Following an extensive investigation, the CBI apprehended Rawat and four of his associates, including Deepak Khattar, the proprietor of Kanishka Surgical in New Delhi, and middlemen Avnesh Patel, Manish Sharma, and Kuldeep, according to a CBI spokesperson.

Bribery and corruption were the charges levelled against them.

The CBI has charged Rawat with conspiring with others to extract payment from patients for medical consultations and surgical procedures while violating the hospital's established protocols.

The agency also claims that the surgeon directed his patients to buy surgical instruments from Khattar's shop, forcing them to pay inflated prices.

According to the spokesperson, the doctor coerced patients into paying more than the actual price for the surgical items, and the shop owner split the profits from overbilling with the accused physician.

The investigation also revealed that Rawat directed his patients to deposit bribes ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 1.15 lakh into a middleman's bank account, the officials said. 

Rawat has also been accused of syphoning off the excess money generated by the sale of overpriced surgical equipment, enriching himself and his co-conspirators through bribes, and laundering their ill-gotten gains through various companies controlled by a private individual.