Ahmedabad Liquor Permit Office Scandal: Staff Accused of Embezzling Government Funds
A significant financial scandal involving cheating and embezzlement has been uncovered at the liquor permit office located on the Civil Hospital campus in Asarwa, Ahmedabad. Officials allege that user fees collected from applicants were not deposited into the government-linked Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) account and were instead misappropriated by staff members.
Complaint Filed by Medical Officer
The complaint was filed by Dr. Jayant Solanki, a 57-year-old medical officer at Civil Hospital who oversees several administrative functions, including the operations of the liquor permit office situated in the 1,200-bed hospital building. According to Dr. Solanki, the suspected irregularities came to light during a routine scrutiny of financial records associated with permit fee collections.
FIR Registered and Arrests Made
The FIR, registered with Shahibaug police on Saturday, names senior clerk Karshansinh Vaghela and two outsourced employees, Navinchandra Dabhi and Vasantkumar Ninama. They are accused of working in collusion by accepting cash payments from applicants, entering the details into official registers, issuing receipts, and failing to deposit the collected fees into the RKS bank account. The complaint alleges that the trio retained the cash for personal gain.
Assistant Commissioner of Police F-Division Rina Rathva confirmed that the three named in the FIR have been arrested and further investigations are ongoing. Praful Pansheriya, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, stated that action has been taken against three outsourced employees, including Ninama and Dabhi. He added that the department has been instructed to initiate further action against Vaghela.
Rules Flouted and Fraudulent Practices
According to the complainant, applicants seeking a new liquor permit are required to pay Rs 25,000, while those applying for renewal must pay Rs 20,000. As per rules, these payments must be made online through a QR code transfer directly into the RKS account, and cash transactions are explicitly prohibited.
However, during verification, hospital authorities reportedly found that several applicants had paid in cash at the permit office and were issued receipts that falsely indicated online payment. The irregularities were uncovered during a review of registers and bank account records for the period between January 1 and March 17.
Scale of Misappropriation and Investigation
The review identified nine applicants whose payments—amounting to Rs 1.8 lakh—were not deposited into the designated RKS account. The complaint includes the names and phone numbers of these applicants. Hospital officials contacted them and asked for copies of their receipts via WhatsApp.
Once the applicants' receipts were matched with office registers and bank statements, officials allegedly confirmed that cash had been taken and not deposited. This suggested a deliberate pattern of malpractice rather than isolated oversight.
In response to the findings, the hospital administration has formed a four-member committee to determine how long the alleged siphoning of funds has been occurring and whether the total misappropriated amount is higher than currently identified. The inquiry is ongoing.
Legal Action Sought
Police action has been sought against the accused for cheating, tampering with receipts, and misappropriating government funds meant for deposit into the Rogi Kalyan Samiti account. The case highlights serious lapses in financial management at a key public facility.
Key Points of the Scandal
- Rules Flouted: The accused allegedly collected cash despite mandatory online payment rules.
- Fraudulent Receipts: Receipts falsely showing online transfers into the hospital committee account were issued to applicants.
- Audit Findings: An audit identified nine applicants whose payments were not deposited.
- Evidence Confirmation: Officials matched receipts, registers, and statements confirming the alleged malpractice.
- Inquiry Committee: A committee has been formed to assess the scale and duration of the fraud.
