Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted permission for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation against two officials of the Department of Forests and Wildlife of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) in an alleged corruption case involving Rs 223 crore, the L-G office said on Wednesday.

In another case, Saxena also gave go ahead to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of the GNCTD to conduct investigation against two senior nurses of the Delhi government-run hospital in the alleged bribery case involving Rs 60,000.

In both the cases, Saxena has approved the proposals for investigation under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, observing that he is of the considered view that it is in the interest of justice to investigate and conduct enquiry against the accused persons, the LG office said.

“The CBI has registered a case against the then Forest Department officials– Parasnath Yadav, and Alam Singh Rawat, who were Senior Account Officer and Assistant Account officer respectively for entering into criminal conspiracy with LA Khan, the then senior Branch Manager of Bank of Baroda, Paharganj Branch, New Delhi and others to transfer Rs 223 crore illegally and unauthorizedly from the ‘sundry’ account to the fake saving accounts in the name of DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board) at the same branch on the basis of forged letter purportedly issued by Department of Forests and Wildlife, GNCTD,” it said.

Yadav, who is a Group ‘A’ officer, is presently posted as Pay and Accounts Officer in Principal Accounts Office of the Delhi government and his file seeking permission under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act for CBI investigation was submitted to the L-G by the Directorate of Vigilance through NCCSA (National Capital Civil Services Authority), as per the L-G office.

Rawat is presently posted as Accounts Officer at Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Pitampura, it said.

The Directorate of Vigilance stated that the CBI vide letter July 12,2023, submitted that the investigations conducted so far prima facie brought forth the role of two officials in the case of “financial irregularities” pertaining to the Forest and Wildlife Department, it added.

In another case, the L-G office said, “The bribery case against two women health department officials – Chanchal Rani Pisalla and Rajnesh Verma, who were then posted at the GB Pant Hospital as Deputy Nursing Superintendent and Nursing officer respectively, the ACB alleged that they demanded Rs 60,000 each from two nursing officers for allowing them ‘light duty’. One of the nursing officers also alleged that both the accused had already taken Rs 42,000 for exemption of duty from Covid-19 desk.”

At present Pisalla is posted at Guru Nanak Eye Centre while Verma has been posted in Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, it said.