Vadodara: Day after head of fire department, two other officers suspended over ‘scam', new appointees take charge
The new appointments came a day after the suspensions of the three officials, including Dr Patel, who was also the Medical Officer, Health. The charge of the same has now been handed over to Dr Mukesh Vaidya. The suspensions came after an alleged scam in procurement of tools and items needed by the fire department came to light. Although the purchases were made by way of the government's e-marketplace portal and also passed through the Third Party Inspection (TPI) agency and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's auditing department, besides the Standing Committee, officials said that the inflated prices 'went unnoticed'.
An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that several items in the tender, including whistles, lighters and mosquito nets had been bought at a cost of over Rs 3,500 each, for which tenders had been invited in February and March this year. The total procurement amount was Rs 3.17 crore for 16 pieces each of pocket knives, gas lighters, whistles and other tools.
'While a departmental inquiry is underway to ascertain how the discrepancy was not raised by the TPI and the auditing committee, the VMC is already staring at an internal controversy with the new appointments as those fire officials, who were hopeful of getting the posts vacated by Patil and Bhatt, have already sounded a rebellion… The fact is that no one pointed out the inflated cost of the items listed in the procurement list,' the official said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
7 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Sugar levels were high, but he still operated upon my eye': What complaint that led to FIR against Vashi doctors says
A 67-year-old Navi Mumbai man whose police complaint led to a First Information Report (FIR) being lodged against ophthalmologists D V Pandit and Chandan Pandit, a father-son duo, has alleged that his eyes were operated upon even though his sugar levels were high. In his complaint, Rajendra Gupta, whose eyes allegedly got infected after the operation, told the police that during a second operation, the Pandits asked him to get a sugar test done, but went ahead with the surgery before the report arrived. It was based on a complaint given by Gupta and four others that the Navi Mumbai police registered an FIR against the Pandits earlier this week. So far, no arrests have been made. In his complaint to the police, Gupta said that in December 2024, since his eyes were hurting, he went to Dr Pandit Eye Surgery and Laser Hospital in Vashi. Dr Chandan allegedly charged Rs 75,000 and carried out a surgery on his right eye. Gupta said in his complaint that when he asked for the medical papers, Dr Chandan did not provide them. Later, when the vision in his right eye allegedly worsened, Gupta went to Dr Chandan again, who advised operating on his left eye. According to Gupta's complaint, he kept getting phone calls from the hospital asking when he would come in for the second surgery. Gupta returned to the hospital in February. Dr Chandan allegedly referred him to a lab for a sugar test and charged him Rs 30,000. However, before the report came in, the doctor operated on his left eye, Gupta said in his police complaint. During the operation, the doctor allegedly asked Gupta's daughter for an extra Rs 10,000, saying there was a boil near Gupta's eye. According to Gupta's complaint, when he returned home, he felt a lot of pain in his eye and could not see anything. In a follow-up session, he was allegedly charged Rs 30,000 again. Later, Dr Chandan allegedly took them to another doctor in Jogeshwari. The discharge from his eye was sent for testing, following which it was revealed that he had been infected with a virus, Gupta said in his complaint. Gupta later found that while his operation was conducted by Dr Chandan, the medical documents were on letterheads in his father's name. Later, he allegedly learnt that the Pandits were not registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council. After Gupta found that four other senior citizens who went to the eye hospital had suffered a similar fate, he approached the local Vashi police station. Following medical confirmation by a civil surgeon, an FIR was registered against the Pandits.
Indian Express
9 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Gurgaon woman arrested for sending death threats to husband, herself via fake Instagram account
The Gurgaon cyber police Wednesday arrested a woman for allegedly creating a fake Instagram account to send death threats to her husband and herself. The accused, identified as Priya Mishra, is a resident of a housing society in Sohna. The police arrested her after a probe into a complaint she filed at the cybercrime south police station on May 29. Mishra, in her complaint, stated that she and her husband were receiving repeated death threats from a woman's Instagram account. The police filed a case under the relevant provisions and formed a team under the supervision of Priyanshu Diwan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (cybercrime), and led by Inspector Naveen Kumar, to probe it. 'During interrogation, Mishra confessed to creating a fake Instagram account under a woman's name due to marital disputes with her husband. She sent death threats to both herself and her husband and filed a false police complaint to register the case. Further investigation is underway', a police spokesperson said. The police said they have recovered the mobile phone used in the crime from her possession. Between January and May this year, the Gurgaon cybercrime police arrested 52 people and apprehended a minor in connection with various cyber fraud cases that involved a total amount of Rs 61.65 crore. The arrests, made by teams from various cybercrime police stations, led to the resolution of 12,607 complaints and 502 registered cases nationwide, including 28 cases in Haryana. According to the police, the accused in those cases used tactics such as fake social media profiles, sextortion, investment scams, impersonation of officials, and schemes like the FedEx fraud to deceive victims. The operations resulted in the recovery of 26 mobile phones, five laptops, three SIM cards, an ATM card, and a chequebook, along with Rs 15.36 lakh in cash. Examination of the seized devices by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) revealed the scale of the fraud, the officers said. Among the cases, five were registered at the cybercrime east police station, two at the cybercrime west police station, and one at the cybercrime Manesar police station in Gurgaon.
Economic Times
9 minutes ago
- Economic Times
GST fraud: ED raids in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Maharashtra
Synopsis The Enforcement Directorate executed new searches across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Maharashtra concerning a Rs 750 crore GST invoice fraud. These actions, under the PMLA, targeted individuals and firms suspected of laundering illicit funds. This investigation follows the arrest and chargesheet of Shiva Kumar Deora, considered a key figure in the scheme, with initial searches conducted in May. IANS GST fraud: ED raids in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Maharashtra The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted fresh searches in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Maharashtra as part of a "fake" GST invoices generation case to the tune of Rs 750 crore. At least a dozen premises in the three states were raided under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case pertains to generation of Rs 750 crore "fake" Input Tax Credit (ITC) involving shell entities and unauthorised financial channels in investigation stems from the arrest of a "key mastermind" of the case Shiva Kumar Deora. He was chargesheeted last month following his arrest in May current searches are being undertaken based on "credible evidence" that indicates involvement of several individuals and firms in laundering "proceeds of crime". The ED had conducted the first round of searches in this case in May.
