CBI searches office of Health Minister’s OSD

A DAY after registering a case against Dr Nikunj Aggarwal in connection with alleged irregularities in his appointment as OSD to Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain, the CBI on Friday carried out searches at his office and other office premises related to the case.

CBI sources said the searches took place at the office of Aggarwal and Anup Mohta, director of Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya.

They said the teams had gone to the offices to get records related to the appointment and other allegations, including Aggarwal’s nomination for a course at Iim-ahmedabad and for a trip to Beijing, China. The team also spoke to Aggarwal.

The search operation did not cover Jain’s office and was restricted to those named in the FIR, sources said.

The agency has registered the case on the basis of a complaint from the government’s deputy secretary, Vigilance, K S Meena.

The FIR is against Mohta and Aggarwal, for alleged criminal conspiracy and under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

In its complaint, the vigilance department has claimed that Aggarwal was appointed as Senior Resident (Ortho) in Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya on an ad hoc basis on August 10, 2015, even though there was no proposal to engage an SR and no such post was available.

“No advertisement was issued by the hospital for the selection of Dr Nikunj Aggarwal as SR. No walk-in interview was conducted for the purpose,” it alleged.

Aggarwal submitted a handwritten application on a “plain paper” for appointment in the hospital on August 6, 2015 and within four days, it was approved without following due procedure, the complaint alleged.