The Anti-Corruption Branch has arrested Rajiv Rangila, the alleged mastermind behind a 700-crore rupee medical equipment procurement fraud involving Delhi government healthcare facilities. Rangila, 50, surrendered before the agency on Thursday after evading authorities since June, when he reportedly fled to the United States following the arrest of several senior health department officials. A local court has remanded him in police custody for four days, roughly a week after the ACB filed a formal chargesheet naming him and other accused individuals. The investigation focuses on systematic irregularities in tenders administered by the Central Procurement Agency, the nodal body responsible for supplying medical equipment, medicines, and vaccines across state-run hospitals.
Dummy entities registered under domestic workers and vendors
Inquiries by the ACB revealed that Rangila allegedly floated a network of proxy entities whose registration documents bore the names of third parties, including his domestic staff and tea vendors. Although masked under these purported owners, the entities were entirely managed and financed by Rangila to capture government tenders and coordinate supply pricing directly with manufacturers. The alleged operation surfaced through a complaint by the Directorate of Vigilance, which identified entities such as F Med Devices, Technocrats, Raj Shree, Ashi Surgical and Pharmaceuticals, and M Sahib and Sons Pvt. Ltd., leading to an FIR registered on June 2. Investigators state the setup allowed the accused to fix prices and secure cash kickbacks from suppliers.
Tailored tender specifications to favour proxy firms
The chargesheet details how technical parameters and tender requirements were deliberately framed to eliminate competition and suit specific firms linked to the syndicate. Rangila allegedly drafted restrictive conditions in coordination with manufacturers before routing the paperwork to Vinod Kumar Ranga, the Head of Office at the Central Procurement Agency. Ranga, who was arrested on June 18, allegedly pressured committee members into clearing the manipulated terms. The files were ultimately granted final approval by former Director General of Health Services Dr Vatsala Aggarwal, who was taken into custody on June 27 alongside Deputy Controller of Accounts Neeraj Chopra.
Swift clearance of bills and identification of assets
The probe also points to administrative collusion in financial clearances, with bills submitted by Rangila-linked suppliers routinely cleared within one to two days of filing. The ACB had earlier issued summons to Rangila in July, but he skipped appearances, prompting extensive search operations across Delhi-NCR and Uttarakhand. Following his formal declaration as a proclaimed offender by the court, the agency initiated proceedings to attach his identified properties across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttarakhand. Officers are now questioning the accused, who unsuccessfully ran as an Independent candidate from Karnal in the 2014 Haryana Assembly election, regarding the creation of shell companies, untraced department files, and the involvement of other officials.
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