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The Delhi High Court has granted regular bail to former Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Vatsala Aggarwal and Dr Vinod Kumar Ranga in an alleged Rs 842-crore corruption case relating to the procurement of medical goods at higher prices.
Justice Sachin Datta granted relief to the two accused on Friday, November 6, observing that their continued custody was not required and that they were entitled to bail considering the totality of circumstances. "Considering the totality of circumstances, this Court is therefore inclined to grant bail to the applicants. Accordingly, the present applications are allowed," Justice Datta said. The High Court directed both applicants to be released on regular bail upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each, along with one surety of a like amount, to the satisfaction of the trial court or Duty Magistrate, subject to certain conditions. As part of the bail conditions, the applicants have been directed not to leave the National Capital Region (NCR) or travel abroad without prior permission from the trial court. They have also been asked to surrender their passports, if any, before the trial court, if not already done. The court further directed them to furnish their permanent addresses and the addresses where they would reside during the pendency of the case. Any address change must be communicated to the investigating officer (IO), and an affidavit regarding the change must be filed before the trial court. The High Court also restrained both applicants from entering the premises of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) or the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, without prior permission from the trial court. The development comes after the Rouse Avenue Court had rejected their bail applications on October 17, citing the gravity of the alleged offences and the requirement for further investigation. At the time, the trial court had observed that their continued custody was necessary to ensure a fair and unhindered investigation, expressing apprehension that they could influence the probe. "Their continued custody is necessary to ensure a fair and unhindered investigation as there is apprehension that they may influence the investigation," the trial court had said. The two were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in connection with allegations of corruption involving Rs 842 crore in the procurement of medical goods at inflated prices. Dr Aggarwal is a former Director General of Health Services, while Dr Ranga was in charge of the Central Procurement Agency during the relevant period. While rejecting their bail pleas, the trial court had considered the nature and gravity of the allegations, the alleged modus operandi, the specific roles attributed to the accused and the pending investigation involving accused Rajiv Kumar alias Rajiv Rangeela and other unknown entities, firms and companies. The trial court had also noted that the complete material emerging from the further investigation was yet to be placed before it through a supplementary chargesheet. It had further observed that the mere filing of a chargesheet did not automatically entitle the accused to bail, particularly in view of the nature of the allegations, the material collected during the investigation and the possibility of interference with the administration of justice. (ANI)
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