Paradip Port doctor in CBI net for issuing Covid-19 clearance certificates in lieu of money
The central probe agency caught hold doctor as he received Rs 50k bribe
By Pravakara Sahoo
Paradip, Oct. 13: A doctor of Paradip Port hospital has been apprehended by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for issuing Covid-19 clearance certificates to crew members of shipping crew members in lieu of money.
The arrested doctor, identified as Rajendra Narayan Panigrahi, was posted as the chief officer at the Port Health Organisation (PHO), Paradip.
Panigrahi was caught red-handed on Thursday evening while accepting bribes from crew members to issue Covid-19 clearance certificates to crew members of Eminence Shipping Agencies.
Subsequently, the CBI sleuths carried out raids at several places linked to Dr Panigrahi.
The PHO functions under the Central government. The main function of the PHO, among others, is to provide Covid-19 clearance certificates to those coming from other countries.
Reports said Panigrahi demanded a bribe of Rs 1,500 to 2,000 from each crew member to issue Covid-19 clearance certificates to them. On Thursday, he allegedly asked Eminence Shipping Agencies to pay Rs 1 lakh bribe to issue certificates to 70 of its crew members. The central probe agency caught hold of the doctor when he was receiving Rs 50,000 from the crew members.
Following this, the officials carried out raids at his ancestral house in Balasore, his residence in Cuttack, his office in Paradip, his quarters at JB Colony and his rented house in the Housing Colony in Paradip. The raids that started on Thursday evening were continuing till this report was filed.
The CBI, according to sources, has so far detected Panigrahi’s moveable and immovable assets amounting to over Rs 1 crore. The investigating agency also seized huge amount of dollars, imported liquors and cigarettes, hard discs and other important documents.
While a ten-member team of CBI interrogated Panigrahi, other officials carried out raids.
It was alleged that the doctor started collecting money from the crew members since the outbreak of Covid-19.
As per the latest information, Dr Panigrahi was on Friday brought to CBI state headquarters in Bhubaneswar after marathon interrogations and raids.
