Congress accuses CBI of going soft on Pharmacy Council Chairman
New law should be enacted to constitute PCI; retired SC/HC judge should be made interim Chairman
NEW DELHI : The Congress today alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation was going soft in the investigation about the multi-crore scam in which the Pharmacy Council of India Chairman Montu Patel is prime accused.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here today, Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil stated that since the CBI did not present all the facts before the court, the accused Montu Patel managed to get interim protection from arrest.
He said that it took two years for the CBI to register an FIR despite incriminating and irrefutable evidence against Patel. He said, just because Patel is an office bearer of the BJP youth wing BJYM in Gujarat, the agency went soft on him and did not present the facts properly in the court.
He demanded that the CBI must put the entire record of its investigation with evidence and proof before the court, so that his anticipatory bail is cancelled on the next hearing.
Giving details, Gohil said, there are allegations of a Rs 5000 crore scandal against Patel involving the approval of pharmacy colleges without any physical verification. As many as 870 colleges were approved within a short span of 13 days. Gohil also played an audio recording of bribe deals in return for granting recognition to pharmacy colleges.
He said, despite the seriousness and scale of the allegations, the CBI neither arrested Patel nor summoned him. It interestingly told the court that it had spoken to Patel over phone, he added.
The senior Congress leader said that despite having all the relevant details, the CBI did not present these in the court, as the accused was associated with the BJP.
Gohil asked Prime Minister Modi what happened to his resolve of neither being corrupt himself nor letting others to be corrupt. He also asked the Prime Minister why Patel has not been removed from the BJP despite such serious allegations against him.
He also asked why the IT and the ED had not carried out any raids at the residence or other premises of Montu Patel.
He demanded that BJP-affiliated members should be removed from the Pharmacy Council of India and an interim chairman be appointed, who should be a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge. He said, a new law should be enacted to reconstitute the council, ensuring integrity and transparency in its functioning.
