IMPHAL, Jun 3: For the second time, Special CBI Court (Sessions Court, Imphal West) postponed the charge hearing of the case regarding alleged financial irregularities in the purchase of dental chairs and other materials of RIMS to June 27 due to the absence of an accused today.
Of the five accused against whom CBI Anti Corruption Bureau had submitted charge sheets, Subhendra Mukherjee, proprietor of M/s Mukherjee Enterprises, Kolkata failed to turn up for today’s hearing.
However, other accused persons – former RIMS Director Sinam Sekharjit of Singjamei Chingamathak, RIMS Dental College and Hospital Principal Dr Rajiv Ratna Singh from Uttar Pradesh, Chief Accounts Officer cum Financial Advisor of RIMS, Elangbam Debendro and former Medical Superintendent Haobam Shanti of Wangkhei Khunou appeared before the Court.
The Court directed Subhendra Mukherjee to appear before the Court on June 27.
CBI counsel pleaded the Court to give some more time to furnish some relevant documents which are yet to be submitted.
It may be mentioned that the first date of charge hearing fixed on May 18 was postponed due Subhendra Mukherjee’s absence.
CBI Anti Corruption Bureau had submitted charge sheets against the five accused under RC 6 (A) of 2014 under Section 120 (B), 420 and 428 and 471 of IPC.
During the first proceeding of the case held on April 21, the Court gave cognizance to the accused of the charge sheets filed against them.
All the five accused were present in the Court that day and all of them except Subhendra Mukherjee took Vakalatnama.
The case was registered by CBI (ACB) based on a specific information regarding a ‘criminal conspiracy’ allegedly hatched by these officers and a private individual while purchasing 38 dental chairs, accessories and other equipment between January and June, 2013.
The dental chairs were allegedly acquired at an inflated rate of Rs 3,75,000 per chair although the dental chairs of the same standard were available at the market at Rs 1,31,000 per chair causing a loss of more than Rs 50 lakh to RIMS.
The tender notice to purchase the dental chairs was issued by Prof S Sekharjit on January on 15, 2013.
However, the notice did not mention the required number of dental chairs.
Following the notification, RIMS received quotations from M/s North East Dental Depot, Guwahati, M/s Unicorn Denmark Ltd, New Delhi, M/s Mukherjee Enterprises Kolkata, M/s NIM Pharmaceuticals, Guwahati and two other firms.
CBI raided RIMS Administrative Block and the quarters of Prof Sekharjit on September 12, 2014. The CBI team which was accompanied by a large number of security personnel went to the quarters of Dr Sekharjit at around 6 am with due orders from the relevant authority that day.
Soon after the raid at Dr Sekharjit’s quarter began, another CBI team rushed to Dental College and Hospital Principal Prof Rajiv Ratna Singh’s quarter and raided it.
Another CBI team sealed the office of Chief Accounts Officer (RIMS) the same day as he was not present at the office at that time.
