CBI probes bribery scam: Telangana medical college trustee & NMC officials accused of paying for approvals

HYDERABAD: In a widening investigation into corruption involving National Medical Commission (NMC) officials, the Central Bureau of Investigation has booked a case against Fr Joseph Kommareddy, trustee of the Father Colombo Institute of Medical Sciences, Warangal.

Others named include Venkat, director of Gayatri Medical College, Visakhapatnam, NMC inspection team member P Rajini Reddy, and three others.The FIR alleges that Fr Kommareddy paid substantial bribes through intermediaries to secure favourable inspection reports and regulatory approvals. Six individuals have already been arrested. The CBI is expected to summon Fr Kommareddy, trustees of the Warangal institute, the diocesan administrator, and the former chairman of the trust for questioning.

NMC officials and Gayatri College directors will also face scrutiny.

6 from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana among accusedOut of 36 accused in this nationwide scam, six are from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including Dr B Hari Prasad (Anantapur), Dr Ankam Rambabu (Hyderabad), and Dr Krishna Kishore (Visakhapatnam).The probe reveals that Dr Virendra Kumar, another key accused, operated a regional network via Dr Prasad, who, along with Dr Rambabu and Dr Kishore, facilitated inspections and regulatory dealings for several colleges.

They allegedly arranged dummy faculty during statutory inspections and secured letters of renewal from the NMC in return for bribes.In one instance, Dr Kishore allegedly collected Rs 50 lakh from Venkat of Gayatri Medical College to resolve a pending NMC issue. Part of the amount was reportedly transferred to Delhi through hawala channels. Fr Kommareddy, meanwhile, reportedly transferred Rs 20 lakh and Rs 46 lakh on two occasions through formal banking routes.The CBI has also named Poonam Meena, director in the ministry of health and family welfare, for allegedly instructing her staff officer, Piyush Malyan, to gather advance information on NMC inspection dates and inquire about related ‘expenses.’The case involves charges under Prevention of Corruption Act, including criminal conspiracy and bribery. It is linked to an earlier case in Chhattisgarh, where three doctors and three middlemen were arrested for taking bribes for favourable inspection reports.