Delhi HC sets aside charges against ex-Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss in medical college corruption case

The Delhi High Court has set aside the charges framed against former Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and others in connection with a corruption case involving a private medical college in Indore..The judgment was delivered by a Single Judge Bench of Justice IS Mehta..The case pertained to alleged favours granted to Index Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Indore by renewing the permission to admit students in the MBBS course for the academic year 2008-09. This, despite the Medical Council of India’s (MCI) recommendation to the contrary, on account of several deficiencies..Pursuant to a case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a chargesheet was filed. On October 7, 2015, the trial court framed charges against Anbumani Ramadoss, then Deputy Secretary in the Health and Family Welfare Ministry; Dr KVS Rao; and persons associated with the College, SS Bhadoria, Nitin Gothwal and Dr Pawan Bhambani under Section 120B r/w 13 (2) & 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act and under Section 420/465/468/471 IPC..In his revision plea before the High Court, Ramadoss argued there was no evidence against him for the misuse of his official position for pecuniary gain and hence the charges ought to be quashed by the High Court in exercise of its power under Section 482 CrPC..The Court was further informed that the permission to the college was granted on the basis of a unanimous note placed before him and signed by the recommending authority..It was also argued that the trial court, while passing the order on framing of charge, skipped the relevance of a video was recorded by the MCI which showed that there was no deficiency in the college..The Court recorded that the factum of videography by an inspection team of MCI was not disputed. However, a copy of the videography was not supplied to the accused persons..In view of the arguments, the Court held that this videography was “material evidence” to reach a conclusion. Therefore, a CD of the videography should have been supplied to petitioners to show innocence on their part, it said..The Court, therefore, set aside the order on charges and directed the trial court to hear the parties on merit afresh after duly supplying the copy of videography to all accused persons..Accordingly, the parties were directed to appear before the concerned court on August 19..Anbumani Ramadoss was represented by Senior Advocate Mukul Gupta with Advocates Vibhor Garg, PK Dubey, Tushar Gupta and Sumit Kr Mishra..Senior Advocates Rebecca John, Vikas Pahwa, N Hariharan and Dayan Krishan also appeared for the other petitioners..CBI was represented by Special Public Prosecutor Prasanta Varma..Read the Judgment: