A Delhi court has rejected the bail pleas of former Central Procurement Agency (CPA) head Dr Vinod Kumar Ranga and former director general of health services (DGHS) Dr Vatsala Aggarwal in an alleged medical procurement scam, citing an alleged Rs 842 crore loss to the government exchequer and risks of evidence tampering and witness interference.
Special judge Vidya Prakash accepted the concerns raised by senior additional public prosecutor Kumar Sanjay, according to the court order reported by the Times of India. The court said the alleged conduct had affected the health of the general public and involved manipulation of procurement processes, missing tender files and pressure on subordinate officials.
The court noted that Ranga had issued an office order on November 11, 2025, directing that tender-related files and bids remain in his custody. Several files linked to the questioned transactions subsequently went missing, depriving investigators of primary documentary evidence, the order said.
The court also referred to the vigilance department’s visit to the CPA on June 18, 2026. Ranga allegedly left his office when the team arrived, ignored repeated calls and did not make his mobile phone available to investigators. The judge said this conduct pointed towards his alleged complicity in the offences and found that the apprehension of interference with the investigation was not theoretical.
The order further recorded allegations that Ranga personally took bills to the Pay and Accounts Office after signing them in place of the drawing and disbursing officer. Officials who objected to irregularities in the questioned files were allegedly pressured. One officer was allegedly taken to the residence of co-accused Rajiv Kumar on Ranga’s directions.
In Aggarwal’s case, the court cited her signatures and handwriting on procurement records, payment clearances, GeM and financial documents, as well as electronic evidence. The order specifically referred to approval for a payment of Rs 33.4 crore to M/s F-Med Devices and four original supplier files carrying her payment approval or clearance.
The court also noted that both accused had allegedly withheld their mobile handsets, claiming that they had misplaced them. It questioned how both phones could have gone missing at the same time. Their former senior positions and familiarity with officials and records were cited as additional reasons to apprehend that they could influence witnesses, interfere with evidence or hamper the ongoing investigation.
Aggarwal’s medical grounds for bail were also rejected. The judge said her condition could be managed through jail medical facilities and government hospitals. The rejection of bail does not determine guilt; the allegations remain subject to the ongoing criminal proceedings and investigation.
