PMJ jewellers under IT scanner for Rs 7 Crore worth purchase bills

Indian Medical Services director, Dr Devika Rani (under suspension) currently serving imprisonment, reportedly purchased Rs 7 crore worth jewellery from PMJ jewellers-Hyderabad. An investigation into the IMS scam found that the jewellers billed Dr Rani under Rs 2 lakh per bill to help her evade ‘pan card submission.

Dr Ch Devika Rani and 16 other government officials, including two doctors holding a key position in IMS, were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau under PC Act. ACB’s investigation revealed that the director- IMS and other officials are involved in making ‘fake indent’, falsification of records, violating rules in purchase of medicines, Surgical kits. It is alleged that this has caused the government exchequer a loss of 9 Crores.

Investigators probing the IMS scam have reported they roped in the Income Tax (I-T) department probe transactions carried out by the suspended IMS Director Ch. Devika Rani with PMJ jewellers.

“Documents of jewellery purchases made by Dr Devika Rani at PMJ Jeweller stores have been handed over to the IT department for further probe. Bills of jewellery worth Rs 7 Crore were seized during searches conducted at her house at Shaikpet, said a source ”.

The ACB officials to assist the investigators in the method adopted in paying the amount.

During the searches property documents of value Rs.15 crore was found. The market value of the same properties is estimated to be around Rs.100 crore, ACB sleuths said. This is part of the payment made to by Rani to PMJ jewellers, an official said.

The searches also revealed that IMS Superintendent K. Veeranna, who was also caught by the ACB in November, worked as a conduit. He used to collect the bribe amounts on behalf of Rani and hand over to the PMJ jewellers.

It is to note that, In February 2019, as per Rani’s instructions, Veeranna collected Rs.6 lakh from a representative of a pharmaceutical company that supplied medicines to the IMS and handed it over to the jewellery showroom representative.

‘Veeranna collected bribes ranging from Rs.2 to Rs.5 lakh from the pharma companies representatives and the same was used to make payments to PMJ jewellers, the official said.