New Delhi: Dr Vinod Kumar Ranga, the former Head of Office of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA), along with his accomplices, allegedly defrauded the Delhi government’s health department of over Rs 750 crore through manipulated tenders and inflated procurement of medicines and medical equipment, investigators looking into the case told the Rouse Avenue Court Monday, while opposing his bail plea.
The CPA, functioning under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), is responsible for procuring medicines, surgical items and medical equipment for Delhi government hospitals.
This latest revelation in court renders the alleged fraud much larger than has been previously reported.
The court dismissed the bail plea, citing the nature and gravity of the allegations, Ranga’s alleged role and the stage of the investigation.
Investigators, who are going over the money trail in the case with a fine toothcomb, told the court that soon after the money left the government’s accounts and reached firms allegedly favoured in the Delhi health department procurement scam, it was moved through hundreds of bank accounts, including those of entities with no apparent connection to the medical supplies. Crores were allegedly withdrawn in cash or transferred onwards.
Ranga is accused by Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of being part of an alleged criminal conspiracy involving large-scale financial irregularities, manipulated tenders and inflated pricing in public medical procurements for Delhi government hospitals.
The First Information Report (FIR) filed on 2 June 2026, had alleged that selected firms were favoured in tenders and that government funds were released to entities linked to the accused. ThePrint has previously reported several of these allegations. Ranga was arrested on 18 June 2026 and remains in judicial custody. He filed a bail application in late July seeking release from custody.
The order, passed by Special Judge Vidya Prakash of the Rouse Avenue Court, lays out the alleged money trail that investigators are still trying to track, while also detailing missing tender files, a mobile phone that has disappeared and fresh procurement irregularities linked to government health programmes.
“After considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case, including the nature of allegations, gravity of the offences alleged, the role allegedly played by the accused, the stage of investigation, severity of punishment in the event of conviction… the court is of the considered view that the accused is not entitled to the concession of bail at this stage,” the court said.
While opposing Ranga’s bail plea, the prosecution argued that the investigation was still at an early stage and that his release could allow him to influence witnesses, tamper with evidence or destroy digital records.
The investigation, according to the prosecution, has also flagged alleged irregularities in procurement linked to the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and other government health programmes.
The case also names former DGHS chief Dr Vatsala Aggarwal, former CPA official Neeraj Chopra and businessman Rajiv Kumar, also known as Rajiv Rangila, as co-accused. Aggarwal was granted four weeks’ interim bail on medical grounds Tuesday.
Also Read: Delhi ACB arrests top ex-health official in multi-crore medical procurement ‘scam’
Hundreds of accounts, crores in cash
According to the prosecution’s account, the money trail began right after government payments reached firms allegedly linked to co-accused Rajiv Kumar alias Rajiv Rangila, the main private supplier and liaisoner named in the FIR.
ThePrint had earlier reported that investigators alleged Rangila worked with manufacturers to prepare tender specifications favouring pre-decided firms, which were then allegedly passed on to Ranga. The ACB alleged that Ranga presented these specifications to tender committees and pressured officials to approve them. Selected firms could then win contracts, with some tenders allegedly awarded and payments released even while the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal continued to show them as “active” or under process.
The latest court order sheds light on what allegedly happened after those payments were made. Investigators examined records from the CPA, Pay and Accounts Office and banks, and traced payments made to the firms, the prosecution told the court. According to the prosecution, payments were released soon after the firms supplied the items. The money was then “immediately transferred into hundreds of other accounts”.
The account holders, investigators alleged, had no apparent connection with the medical supplies purchased by the CPA or DGHS. From these accounts, “money in crores” was allegedly withdrawn in cash or transferred to other accounts. “Complete money trail and ultimate beneficiaries are still being identified,” the prosecution told the court.
The prosecution also argued that Ranga’s role went beyond simply processing procurement proposals. It alleged that he helped selected firms get government payments cleared after the procurement process had been tilted in their favour.
It also alleged that Ranga signed bills in place of the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) when the officer was unavailable and personally took the bills related to the questioned tenders to the Pay and Accounts Office for processing.
In the earlier investigation, the ACB had alleged that the arrangement generated large gains for private firms through inflated prices. For example, a portable X-ray machine that the manufacturer allegedly sold to other government departments for about Rs 10 lakh was bought by the CPA for Rs 33 lakh each. The ACB alleged that 448 machines were ultimately ordered, with Rs 148 crore paid for machines it valued at no more than Rs 45 crore.
Vanished files, cellphone missing
A key issue before the court was the disappearance of tender files that Ranga himself had ordered to be kept with him. Investigators recovered an order issued by Ranga on 11 November 2025, directing that tender-related files and relevant bids be kept in his custody.
The stated reason was “in order to ensuring confidentiality, preventing unauthorised use or disclosure of the contents and to maintain a record of movement”. The order further directed that the “Tender Related File along with relevant bids shall be kept in the safe custody of the Head of Office, CPA”.
According to staff statements cited by the prosecution, the order was followed, and the files remained with Ranga. They later could not be found. The prosecution alleged that the files were removed or destroyed after payments for the purchases had been made, thereby protecting Ranga and his alleged accomplices.
The court recorded the prosecution’s allegation that Ranga had “intentionally destroyed those files”, causing crucial evidence to disappear. The files allegedly contained details of the entities that raised procurement demands, officials who initiated the process and members of committees involved in preparing specifications and evaluating bids. Investigators have so far been unable to recover them.
The prosecution also raised questions over Ranga’s mobile phone, saying it could contain digital evidence relevant to the case.
The ACB FIR had recorded that when a Directorate of Vigilance team visited the CPA office during the investigation, Ranga allegedly left abruptly. Officials present told the team that the relevant files were in his custody and could not be produced in his absence. Investigators allegedly tried to contact him but his phone was switched off or unreachable.
The prosecution told the court that Ranga had “destroyed or concealed” the mobile phone he was using during the relevant period. It relied on this allegation to argue that releasing him could allow him to interfere with digital evidence.
The X-ray files
The prosecution also told the court about complaints received after the FIR was registered. One involved Red Mamba Force Pvt. Ltd., which was hired to provide radiographers mobile digital chest X-ray screening under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan in Delhi.
The prosecution alleged that the company was given a physical work order even though its bid was still shown as “pending” on the GeM. Ranga allegedly sent emails to Delhi government hospitals and chest clinics asking them to allow the company’s radiographers to join.
The bid files were also missing from the CPA, according to the prosecution. Files related to another sanitation-services tender floated through GeM were also unavailable. The prosecution said it was still investigating how the files went missing.
‘Bhai’ calls, officials moved
The prosecution also cited the disclosure statement of co-accused CPA official Neeraj Chopra, alleging that Ranga pressured CPA officials to clear questioned procurement files. Chopra allegedly referred to directions or telephone calls from “Bhai”, which the prosecution said referred to Rajiv Kumar alias Rajiv Rangila, the businessman and main private supplier allegedly linked to the favoured firms and named in the ACB FIR.
Officials who resisted the process were allegedly removed from their duties. Two material witnesses whose statements were recorded during the investigation allegedly corroborated the prosecution’s account of the procurement process and Ranga’s role.
The prosecution said investigators were still examining bank records, digital evidence and the wider financial network.
“Investigation with respect to the applicant/accused is not concluded and, in case the applicant/accused is released on bail, then, he may influence the witnesses, tamper with the evidence and may destroy the digital records, as has been done by him before his arrest,” the prosecution argued.
Ranga, through advocate Vijay Bishnoi, argued in the bail plea that he had no independent authority over procurement and that the files passed through multiple administrative, financial and technical checks before approval. He said he became Head of Office only in August 2025 and was not responsible for keeping the files, which had already been handed to another official in June 2026.
The defence also pointed out that Ranga was suspended in June 2026 pending disciplinary proceedings and had no previous disciplinary record. Bishnoi argued that the pending examination of electronic devices, bank records and the money trail could be completed by the ACB without keeping Ranga in custody.
The court rejected the bail plea, citing the nature and gravity of the allegations, Ranga’s alleged role and the stage of the investigation.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)