Top Congress leaders face heat for cheating, forgery in Rajsthan ambulance scam

Top Congress leaders are in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) net in an alleged scam in ambulance operations in Rajasthan during the tenure of Ashok Gehlot. A case has been registered against Sachin Pilot, Ashok Gehlot and Karti, the son of Congress leader P. Chidambaram. Vayalar Ravi's son has also been named in the scam.

The CBI has taken over the probe from the state government in the alleged irregularities in tender given to former union minister Vayalar Ravi's son Ravi Krishna's company Ziqitza Healthcare in 2009 in Rajasthan, which was then ruled by the Congress.

It has been alleged that bills with excess amounts were claimed and paid to the firm to the tune of Rs 2.56 crore in operating the ambulance service.

The CBI will now probe allegations of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy under various sections of the Indian Penal Code based on the initial investigation carried out by the Rajasthan Police. A formal notification was issued by the state and central governments for CBI's intervention.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had asked the Centre last year to order a CBI probe into the scam.

Ravi Krishna's company was awarded the tender to run the 108 ambulance service in Rajasthan under the Centre's National Rural Health Mission as part of a public-private partnership.

Pilot and Chidambaram have been named as accused since they were directors in Ziqitza Healtcare.

"The CBI case is based on the FIR registered by the state police. We have re-registered the case. We will begin questioning of those named in the FIR to probe the allegations," said a CBI officer.

Speaking to Mail Today, Pilot and Gehlot hit out at Chief Minister Raje.

"The CBI has taken this action after the prodding of the Raje government and this is nothing but vendetta driven by malicious intent. They had been investigating this matter for the past few years and have not been able to make any headway," said Pilot, who has already sent a legal notice to former Mayor of Jaipur Pankaj Joshi, who was the complainant.

The senior Congress leader said that he had resigned from the ambulance service provider when it became a for-profit venture.

"Their allegations against me are fabricated. I hope investigations are conducted swiftly and transparently. I have always stood for probity in public life," he added.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gahlot also hit out at Vasundhara Raje. "Chief Minister Raje and her son Dushyant Singh are facing serious allegations of corruption. This action has been taken to divert public attention. If the CM has courage she should order a CBI probe against herself and her son in the Lalitgate case," said Gehlot.

Rajasthan Police's FIR, filed in June last year after the BJP came to power in the state, has also named Congress leaders Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, Krishna and Karti Chidambaram.

The CBI came out with a statement saying it has registered a case against the directors of a private firm and public servants for alleged irregularities in the award of tender in favour of the firm by deliberately inserting technical specification.

The Rajasthan Police, who also named officials of Ziqitza Healthcare, had filed the FIR on the basis of a probe into a complaint filed by former Jaipur Mayor Pankaj Joshi. The names of former state Health Minister A A Khan, Sweta Mangal, the then CEO of Ziquitza Healthcare, Shaffi Mather, former Economic Advisor to Kerala CM Oommen Chandy and the NRHM Director have also come up in the scam.

Gehlot had earlier said officers were under pressure to act in this matter.