The Rouse Avenue court denied the extension of interim bail to Vatsala Aggarwal, former DGHS, in a Rs 700 crore medical procurement scam. She was directed to surrender before jail authorities despite her plea for extension on medical grounds.
The Rouse Avenue court on Tuesday refused to extend the interim bail granted to Vatsala Aggarwal, Former Director General of Health Services (DGHS), on Medical grounds. She has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in an alleged medical procurement scam case of Rs 700 crores.
She has been directed to surrender before the jail authorities. On August 18, she was granted 4 weeks' interim bail on medical grounds. She had approached the trial court for extension of interim bail.
Special Judge Vidya Prakash on Monday rejected the application seeking extension of interim bail earlier granted to Vatsala Aggarwal after considering the submissions and the facts that the medicine prescribed by the hospital can be provided by jail authorities.
The court said that after considering the overall facts and circumstances of the case and in the light of the discussion made hereinabove, the Court is not inclined to extend the period of interim bail granted to the accused, namely Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal. " Hence, the application under consideration is hereby dismissed," the Special Judge ordered on September 14.
The court further ordered that as a necessary sequel thereof, the accused, namely Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal, is hereby directed to surrender directly before the concerned Jail Superintendent in terms of order dated 18.08.2026, passed by this Court.
Court's Directives for Medical Care
The Court has directed the Jail authorities to allow her to take all prescribed medicines/ injection with her inside the jail, if she so wishes; however, subject to scrutiny thereof and in accordance with relevant provisions contained in the Jail Manual. It is further directed to provide all proper and necessary medical treatment to her inside the jail premises. In case she requires any hospitalisation, the concerned Jail Superintendent shall ensure it without any delay.
"The concerned Jail Superintendent shall also make necessary arrangements of adaptive Servo Ventilation with nocturnal oxygen therapy, as and when so required, inside the jail premises. Needless to mention here that in case it is not possible to do so, then, concerned Jail Superintendent shall ensure that the applicant/accused is immediately taken to government hospital having such facility," the court directed.
Defense Arguments for Bail Extension
Senior Advocate Ramesh Gupta appeared for Vatsala Aggarwal and sought 6 weeks' extension of interim bail on the ground that three specific directions under the head "SPECIAL NEEDS", as noted in the Discharge Summary of 25.08.2026, is incapable of being complied with by Central Jail Tihar since it contains a direction to a certified immunocompromised patient to avoid crowded places, which cannot be reconciled with confinement in a prison barrack.
It was also submitted that the second dose of Injection Shingrix, which falls due on or about 25.09.2026, on account of the immunocompromised status of the accused, ought not to be interrupted; and adaptive Servo Ventilation with nocturnal oxygen therapy is a machine-dependent, night-long therapy requiring an ASV device, with uninterrupted power supply, and no such facility exists at the jail dispensary.
Prosecution Opposes Plea
On the other hand, senior public prosecutor Kumar Sanjay opposed the bail application and opposed the request for extension grant of interim bail on the ground that the ailments with which the accused is suffering are neither life-threatening nor severe in nature, so as to require any hospitalisation or any kind of further intervention.
Background of the Scam Case
A case under Section 7A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 read with Section 61 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2024 was registered. ACB has arrested Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal and Dr. Vinod Kumar Ranga in this case. Ranga was the incharge of the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).
ACB has lodged an FIR on a complaint forwarded by the Directorate of Vigilance on 02.06.2026 regarding alleged irregularities in procurement of medicines, surgical items, surgical consumables and medical equipment by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) & Central Procurement Agency (CPA), GNCT of Delhi. After examining the complaint, accompanying documents and material available, an FIR was lodged against doctors, public servants, and private persons in relation to alleged manipulation of procurement processes and procurement of medicines and medical equipment at highly inflated rates, causing wrongful loss to the Government exchequer. (ANI)
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