Graft case: Court orders framing of charge against Anbumani Ramadoss

New Delhi, Oct 7: A special court today ordered framing of charges against former union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and others in two separate corruption cases filed by the CBI.

The court said prima facie various offences including criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery under the IPC and other provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act are made out against Ramadoss and others. "Put up the matter for formal framing of charges against the accused in both the cases on November 2," Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Jain said.

The court, however, discharged five persons who were named as accused by the CBI in the two separate graft cases. The court had on September 24 reserved its order on framing of charge after concluding hearing arguments in the two cases.

Ramadoss was Union Health Minister from May 2004 till April 2009 in the UPA-I government. The two cases relate to alleged favours being shown by Ramadoss and other accused to a private medical college, Rohilkhand Medical College and Hospital (RMCH) in Bareilly at Uttar Pradesh and Indore-based Index Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (IMCHRC).

The case pertaining to RMCH was last year transferred by Supreme Court from a court in Lucknow to Delhi after Ramadoss had sought shifting of the trial. He along with others were chargesheeted by CBI in the case for allegedly showing favours to RMCH in grant of renewal for admissions in the MBBS course in 2008-2009.

In the IMCHRC case, CBI had chargesheeted Ramadoss and nine others for allegedly allowing the college to proceed with admissions without sufficient faculty and clinical material.

CBI had alleged that Ramadoss had "illegally" permitted IMCHRC to take admission for second year despite the fact that the Medical Council of India (MCI) and a committee, appointed by the Supreme Court, recommended against it. All the accused, who have denied the allegations levelled against them, are presently out on bail in both the cases.

PTI