Herb scam: VB seeks cancellation of FIR

Manish Sirhindi

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 24

The state Vigilance Bureau has moved an application in the district court seeking the cancellation of an FIR registered in the herb scam that had surfaced five years ago.

It was found that the state’s only ayurvedic pharmacy had allegedly purchased spurious medicinal herbs worth Rs1.8 crore, that too at inflated rates. The sample reports had confirmed that the herbs were spurious.

In 2013, former Medical Officer of the Ayurveda Department Shivraj Singh Kamboj filed a complaint with the Vigilance Bureau. The latter investigated the matter for one-and-a-half years and registered a case after establishing that herbs were spurious and bought at inflated prices.

A case was registered against senior assistant Satish Kumar and superintendent Bhupinder Singh of the Ayurveda Department and Naurang Rai, owner of Nausheel Enterprises, Hisar, and the owner of India Drug House, Delhi, but no arrest was made.

The court has fixed July 30 as the next of hearing in the case. Senior Vigilance Bureau officers could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.