A medical officer hand in glove with the pharmacist of Cherlapally jail has duped Rs.70-lakhs from medical shops owners in Hyderabad.

As per information received from the sources, the Hyderabad police have booked a case against the medical officer and pharmacist of Cherlapally jail for duping medical shop owners of around Rs.70 lakhs. According to sources, these two health department officials convinced the victims that they will be paid money when the government releases funds.

As many as 4 medical shop owners have been duped in this manner. The Prison officials of Cherlapally jail confirmed the fraud by these officials and said that a thorough investigation is going on into this matter.

The officials revealed that the medical officer in connivance with the jail pharmacists procured the medicines and sold it outside. Further the jail officials clarified that the jail had no need for that much medicine and the drugs purchased by the duo never reached the jail.

Prior to this incident came to light, the Telangana prison authorities had already launched a probe into the misappropriation of Rs.35 lakh medical funds a few weeks ago and this scam is a new twist to the case.

The probe team is investigating if the previous jail superintendent as also involved with the two accused in this scam. As per inputs from Cyberabad police, the jail’s medical officer Dr. Raveenrani who had been on deputation at the jail since two years approached medical shop owners and told them that the Cherlapally jail authorities would purchase medicines worth crores form them. Jail pharmacist V Mallaiah is also involved in the scam. “They approached the owner of Ayyappa Medical store at Nagarm and said they will buy medicines worth Rs.2 crore for the jail. They convinced owner Mallareddy to give them medicines worth Rs.15 lakh on credit saying they would pay once the government transfers funds. Later they took him to Canara Bank and made him take a loan in the name of his shop promising that they will pay the installment and they took around Rs.10 lakh,” informed P Guruva Reddy, inspector of police. The duo targeted three other medical stores in A S Rao Nagar, ECIL and near the Gandhi Medical College.

Even in the earlier case the medical officers and jail pharmacists purchased medicines worth Rs.30 lakh form Arogya Dhanvantari medial shop at A S Rao Nagar on credit and did not pay. Similarly they approached one at ECIL and purchased drugs worth Rs.5 lakh and one near Gandhi Hospital from where they purchased medicines worth Rs.10 lakh on credit.

Having learned that they were duped by these officials the victims approached the police and booked the cases against the medical officer and pharmacists of the jail.