TDP leader and former Andhra Pradesh Labour Minister K Atachannaidu was discharged from the Guntur Government Hospital (GGH) on Wednesday evening. The leader was being treated at the GGH after he was remanded on the orders of an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court over his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scam.
According to reports, Atchannaidu was being questioned by ACB officials at the hospital. However, he was discharged after his health condition improved and was subsequently taken to the Vijayawada sub-jail.
On Tuesday, TDP leaders — Srikakulam Member of Parliament (MP) K Rammohan Naidu and ex-state minister Devineni Uma — attempted in vain to meet Atchannaidu at hospital.
However, the move attracted severe criticism from TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu. Taking to Twitter, Naidu wrote, "By acting inhumanely, the government has become a reason for a second surgery on him (Atchannaidu), as if revenge hasn't been taken by making a sudden discharge, it has committed another atrocity."
చికిత్స పొందాల్సిన వ్యక్తిని వీల్ చైర్ లో కూర్చోబెట్టి, అంబులెన్సులో జైలుకు తీసుకువెళ్ళడం వెనుక... అచ్చెన్నాయుడును ఒక్కరోజైనా జైల్లో ఉంచాలనే మీ సైకో మనస్తత్వం కనపడుతోంది. ప్రజలు అన్నీ గమనిస్తున్నారు.(3/3)
— N Chandrababu Naidu #StayHomeSaveLives (@ncbn) July 1, 2020
#WeStandWithAtchannaidu
“Don’t even follow rules while discharging? Why have they written 4.20 pm by discharging him at 5.00pm? We condemn the mishandling with Atchannaidu’s health with flawed reports in the guise of committee,” Naidu lamented.
Lokesh Nara, TDP General Secretary, also condemned the forcible discharge of the Atchannaidu. He said, “Power is being abused to harass political opponents, by parading a person who underwent a surgery on roads for 24 hours caused a second surgery."
ఇప్పుడు గాయం మానక ముందే డాక్టర్ల పై ఒత్తిడి చేసి డిశ్చార్జ్ చేసారు. చేస్తున్న ప్రతీ తప్పుకి జగన్ రెడ్డి గారు మూల్యం చెల్లించుకోక తప్పదు(2/2)#WeStandWithAtchannaidu
— Lokesh Nara #StayHomeSaveLives (@naralokesh) July 1, 2020
While alleging that Chief Minister YS Jagan's government had forced doctors at GGH to discharge him despite unhealed injury, the TDP leader said that “YS Jagan will pay the cost for every misdeed he is doing.”
Earlier in June, Atchannaidu was arrested along with several others by the state Anti Corruption Bureau after it took over investigation from the Vigilance and Enforcement Department which had unearthed a scam that took place between 2014 to 2019 under the TDP administration in the procurement of medicines and other health care equipment for ESI hospitals, labs and dispensaries monitored by the Directorate of Insurance Medical Services (IMS).
Atchannaidu was named as A2 in the two cases which were registered against 14 persons for criminal misconduct, breach of trust and forgery under the Prevention of Corruption Act and under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
While the Vigilance and Enforcement report claimed that there were irregularities in purchase and work orders worth Rs 975 crore by “violating procedures and guidelines”, the ACB in its probe found “irregularities taken in orders worth Rs 988 crores resulting in misappropriation of funds of Rs 150 crore”.
The TDP leader K Atchannaidu was accused of ordering then Director Dr CK Ramesh Kumar (one of the accused) to entrust a contract to a company called ‘Tele Health Services Pvt Ltd’ without calling for an open tender.
The V&E probe found that the Director issued a work order merely based on the letter of the then Labour Minister.