Bengaluru, Feb 14 (IANS): The Congress-led government in Karnataka, headed by Siddaramaiah, handed over the Covid 'scam' investigation to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday, two months after lodging an FIR.
The team headed by CID SP Raghavendra Hegde and three Dy SPs will investigate the "scam" which allegedly occurred during the tenure of the previous BJP government, sources said.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar, Home Minister G. Parameshwara and other prominent leaders used the Covid "scam" as the shield against the allegations of the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case involving Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and sensational tribal welfare board scam.
The FIR was lodged regarding the Covid scam in Vidhana Soudha police station on December 13 against senior officers and staffers.
The Congress government hinted at action against former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, former Health Minister B. Sriramulu and BJP MP K. Sudhakar.
The government had formed a special cabinet sub-committee headed by Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar to look into the report by the Commission headed by the High Court Justice John Michael D'Cunha formed by the Congress government and give recommendations.
Shivakumar had announced that "Officials are conducting an investigation based on the recommendations of Justice Michael Cunha's committee on Covid management-related irregularities. Those who embezzled Covid funds will not be spared."
Referring to Covid testing irregularities, he had said, "In Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits, 84 lakh RT-PCR tests were reportedly conducted, with bills amounting to Rs 502 crore, out of which Rs 400 crore has been paid. If 84 lakh tests were conducted, it would mean two tests per household."
He further mentioned, "In Kidwai Hospital alone, 24 lakh tests were reportedly conducted, generating a bill of Rs 146 crore, despite not having the technical capacity or ICMR approval. Conducting so many tests at a single location raises questions about logistics and crowding."
Shivakumar assured a thorough review from top to bottom to identify any legal violations.
Sources stated that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) sleuths earlier formed to look into the scam were hesitant to probe the matter as powerful politicians and senior bureaucrats were named. The government's move to hand over the case has surprised the political circles.