SCB doctor Rabindra Jena arrested by Vigilance

Cuttack: Dr Rabindra Kumar Jena, Head of Clinical Haematology Department, SCB Medical College and Hospital, was on Thursday arrested on charges of embezzling Odisha State Treatment Fund (OSTF).

He has also allegedly been found to have amassed properties disproportionate to his known sources of income.

As per the Vigilance Directorate sources, Dr Jena had been evading Vigilance enquiry and investigation and also his whereabouts were not known to the anti-corruption wing.

The arrest of Jena comes after a week of the arrest of another assistant professor and his colleague Dr Sudha Sethy involved in the same case.

The anti-graft sleuths nabbed the senior haematologist from near Laxmannathpur in Balasore district while he was returning from West Bengal.

Notably, a Vigilance enquiry was taken upon the allegations of abuse of official position and show of undue official favour to different pharmaceutical companies by prescribing their high cost drugs to the poor patients getting financial assistance for their treatment under Odisha State Treatment Fund (OSTF) by Prof (Dr) Rabindra Kumar Jena, HOD, SCB Medical College & Hospital, said a release of the State Vigilance.

They were obtaining pecuniary advantages from the pharmaceutical companies for foreign tours and accommodation abroad, even for which Government has sanctioned money and on other allegations of criminal misconduct and corruption against Dr Jena, the Vigilance Directorate press release added.

It was found during enquiry that Dr Rabindra Kumar Jena and Dr Sudha Sethy in furtherance of their common intention and in conspiracy with Pfizer pharmaceutical company have been sending the application forms of the patients with estimate for expenditure, mentioning therein the generic/molecular name of the medicines prescribed instead of writing the specific name of the medicine, which were available in the Central Store of SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.