Top Neuro Surgeon Arrested in Bribery Scandal
In a significant crackdown on corruption, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Dr. Manish Agarwal, the Head of Department (HOD) of Neuro Surgery at Rajasthan's largest Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital and Additional Principal of SMS Medical College. Dr. Agarwal was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh, while the arrest took place on Thursday evening when he was meeting the complainant at his residence to receive the illicit payment.
Bribe Money Discarded in Plot
According to ACB officials, as the team approached Dr. Manish Agarwal's residence, his employee, Jagat, attempted to dispose of. The bribe money by throwing it into a nearby vacant plot. The ACB swiftly apprehended Jagat and successfully recovered the full bribe amount from the plot. Both Dr. Agarwal and his employee Jagat have been taken into custody, highlighting the extent of the alleged corruption within the institution.
Bribe Demanded for Bill Clearance
Additional SP Sandeep Saraswat of the ACB stated that a complaint was filed on Wednesday by an individual whose bills for the supply of brain coils, essential for neuro surgery, had been pending for the past three months. The company had a two-year tender, and Dr. Manish Agarwal was allegedly demanding Rs 1 lakh to clear these outstanding bills. Initially, Dr, while agarwal had rejected the bills and asked the complainant to meet him personally, leading to the trap set by the ACB.
Dr. Agarwal's Multiple Roles and Criticisms
Beyond his role as HOD, Dr. Manish Agarwal also oversaw the ICU at SMS Hospital's Trauma Center, which recently witnessed a tragic fire on October 5th, claiming eight lives, including three women. He's also in charge of the Organ Transplant Program and manages crucial financial operations for the SMS Medical College's store, playing a pivotal role in major procurement decisions for the college and its affiliated hospitals, while
Opposition Slams Government over Corruption
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Tika Ram Jully, criticized the state government following the arrest. He stated that while the Congress government had painstakingly developed a health model in Rajasthan, the current BJP government has "ruined" the state's health sector and tarnished its reputation. Jully described the HOD's arrest as merely "one example of the anarchy and corruption prevalent in Rajasthan," demanding concrete action from the government.
