Ghaziabad, July 29 (IANS) A Special CBI Court in Ghaziabad on Tuesday sentenced Gangaram, Partner of M/s Pankaj Pharma, Lucknow, to two years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh for his involvement in a forgery and cheating case related to the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme.

The case pertains to fraudulent practices in the procurement and supply of medicines under the NRHM during the 2008-09 financial year.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered the case on July 11, 2013, against Gangaram and others, following irregularities in the implementation of the scheme between 2005 and 2011.

According to the CBI investigation, Gangaram, in criminal conspiracy with the then Pharmacist Late J.P. Srivastava, managed to fraudulently procure seven government supply indents originally meant for firms authorized under state rate contracts. To do this, he submitted forged authorisation letters, falsely projecting M/s Pankaj Pharma as an officially approved dealer.

Using these fabricated documents, Gangaram supplied medicines to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Balrampur, and fraudulently obtained payment to the tune of Rs 5,00,847.

While the medicines were indeed supplied, investigations revealed that the authorisation letters were counterfeit, and the actual rate-contract firms had no involvement in the supply.

The case highlighted a clear instance of impersonation, document forgery, and misappropriation of government funds under the health mission aimed at improving rural healthcare infrastructure.

Following a detailed probe, the CBI filed a charge sheet on June 30, 2015, and the case went to trial.

The Special Court, after examining the evidence and hearing the arguments, found Gangaram guilty of forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court sentenced him to two years’ imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 5 lakh, sending a stern message against the misuse of public health schemes.

–IANS

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