Just three days after an FIR was filed against Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) President Dr Montu Kumar Patel for alleged irregularities in council elections, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided his home in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
As per a media report, the FIR was filed on June 30, based on a complaint made in March 2023 by Amit Biswas, Under Secretary in the Union Health Ministry. A preliminary enquiry (PE) had already been started in May 2023 by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Branch-I in New Delhi. Dr Patel, along with Vinod Kumar Tiwari (a trustee of Rameshwar Prasad Satya Narayan Mahavidyalaya in Ayodhya), middleman Santosh Kumar Jha, and some unnamed people, has been charged under IPC Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating), as well as Sections 7, 7A, and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The CBI enquiry found signs of wrongdoing in the 2022 PCI elections. It said that six members were added to the Executive Committee in a way that violated the Pharmacy Act. There were also irregularities in how some pharmacy colleges were approved.
After becoming PCI President in the 114th Central Council meeting on April 6, 2022, Dr Patel made several appointments that increased his power in the Council. “He allegedly nominated 91 members to various positions—including the Executive and Finance Committees—beyond the scope of the meeting’s official agenda,” the report said. He also elected Dr (Ms) Nilimanka Das and six others as co-opted EC members “with blanket permission to participate in all decision-making throughout the year, bypassing voting procedures.”
The FIR also pointed out serious problems in how pharmacy colleges were given approval. When the CBI visited some of these institutes in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, they found that many lacked proper buildings, teachers, and even students. Yet, they had received PCI approval under Dr Patel’s leadership. One such college, Rameshwar Prasad Satya Narayan Mahavidyalaya in Ayodhya, was found to be in very poor condition.
Six other colleges—SSD College of Pharmacy, Gagan College of Pharmacy, Shanti Devi Jain Degree College, Veer Shivaji College of Pharmacy, Bhagwati College of Pharmacy (all in Uttar Pradesh), and Heyward College of Pharmacy (in Madhya Pradesh)—were approved by the Executive Committee led by Dr Patel, even though inspection reports were negative.
The CBI said the enquiry showed “glaring instances” of bribery, misuse of power, and criminal actions. These findings suggest a larger conspiracy involving both government officials and private people. The investigation is expected to go deeper.
