New Delhi, June 29: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday alleged a ₹650 crore scam in the procurement of medicines, medical equipment and hospital supplies under the Delhi Government led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, claiming that the alleged irregularities could not have been carried out by one official alone.
Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj alleged that serious irregularities took place in the Health Department within 16 months of the BJP government coming to power in Delhi after 27 years.
He alleged that attempts were being made to portray former DGHS officer Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal as solely responsible for the alleged scam, but claimed the procurement decisions pointed to a larger conspiracy involving the government.
“Can one officer alone commit a ₹650 crore scam? This was not done by one officer. This was done through a criminal conspiracy by the government,” Bharadwaj alleged.
According to Bharadwaj, the controversy began after the Delhi Government issued an order in July 2025 directing that all hospital purchases would be routed through the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) instead of individual hospitals making their own purchases.
He said the CPA was placed under the supervision of the DGHS and alleged that Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal was appointed to the post despite not being the senior-most eligible officer and despite complaints pending against her.
Bharadwaj questioned why she was appointed to such a sensitive post by the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor, alleging that more than 10 senior doctors were bypassed.
The AAP leader alleged that several items were purchased at highly inflated rates. Citing what he claimed were FIR details and procurement documents, Bharadwaj alleged that portable X-ray machines worth around ₹1 lakh each were purchased for ₹33 lakh each, and that 448 such machines were procured.
He also alleged that C-arm radiological equipment, which he claimed cost around ₹25 lakh in the market, was purchased for around ₹1.10 crore each.
Bharadwaj further alleged large-scale irregularities in the purchase of ORS packets and hospital linen. He claimed that around 50 lakh ORS packets were purchased at ₹205 per packet, while the market price was around ₹15.
He also alleged that bedsheets available on the Government e-Marketplace at around ₹150 each were purchased for ₹450 each, and that the government bought linen worth around ₹75 crore.
According to Bharadwaj’s calculation, this would amount to about 16.66 lakh bedsheets for Delhi Government hospitals, which he claimed was excessive compared to the total hospital bed strength of around 15,659 beds.
He alleged that some hospitals were forced to accept quantities far beyond their requirement, including claims that a 200-bed hospital was asked to take 20,000 bedsheets.
Bharadwaj said the case should not be limited to one officer and demanded an open-ended probe into the role of the Health Minister, Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governor.
He alleged that officials were being made scapegoats to shield higher authorities.
“This investigation should not begin with the assumption that Vatsala Aggarwal alone will be made the scapegoat. The role of the Health Minister, Chief Minister and LG must also be investigated,” Bharadwaj said.
The AAP leader said his party would continue raising the issue and demanded accountability from the Delhi Government.
The allegations were made by Saurabh Bharadwaj during a press conference. A response from the Delhi Government, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s office, the Lieutenant Governor’s office, the Health Department and Dr. Vatsala Aggarwal was sought and is awaited.
Legal Disclaimer: The allegations mentioned in this report are based on statements made by AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj. They remain allegations unless established by a competent investigating agency or court.
