CBI files charge sheet against ex-OSD of Delhi health minister in appointments case

The CBI has chargesheeted Dr Nikunj Aggarwal, the former OSD of Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, and Dr Anup Mohta for alleged irregularities in the former's appointment as a senior resident at a government hospital, officials said.

The probe agency filed the charge sheet after getting the Union Health Ministry's clearance, on July 15, 2019, to prosecute Mohta, the then Director of Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, for allegedly appointing Aggarwal as senior resident (orthopaedics) in the hospital in 2015 without a vacancy or conducting a walk-in-interview.

The CBI has alleged that neither any advertisement was issued nor any walk-in-interview conducted for the position.

It was also alleged that Aggarwal had given a handwritten application on a plain paper on August 6, 2015, expressing his intent to join the hospital as the senior resident.

Mohta approved the appointment through a letter dated August 10, 2015, without following any procedure, the agency has alleged, adding Aggarwal was appointed on the strength against the post of a faculty member as a resident.

The agency registered the case in 2016 on the basis of a complaint from the Delhi government's Deputy Secretary (Vigilance) K S Meena.

"Within a few days of the appointment of Aggarwal, his services were requisitioned for appointment as OSD to Minister of Health, GNCTD. As per the Residency Scheme, resident doctors are engaged for working in hospitals, and not for other duties," the complaint received by the CBI from the Delhi Vigilance Department had stated.

During the three-year-long investigation, the CBI seized files purportedly showing that Mohta did not follow proper procedure in clearing Aggarwal's appointment, it said.

The probe agency said the actions of Mohta are covered under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. According to sources, Aggarwal is understood to be a relative of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

During the investigation, none of them were arrested. After filing of the chargesheet, Mohta was granted bail by the special CBI court, officials said.

The irregularity was flagged by Shunglu Committee constituted on August 30, 2016, by then Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. The panel was chaired by former CAG V K Shunglu. Ex-chief election commissioner N Gopalaswami and former chief vigilance commissioner Pradeep Kumar are also its members.

The file relating to the appointment of Aggarwal was submitted by the Health Ministry to the Lt Governor after the directions from his office to submit all files which require his approval. The mandate of the committee was to examine over 400 files on decisions taken by the AAP government.