Hyderabad: A police complaint has been lodged against the medical officer and pharmacist of the Cherlapally jail for duping medical shop owners of around Rs 70 lakh. The two health department officials allegedly cheated four medical shop owners by purchasing medicines worth lakhs for the prison and sold it outside. They convinced the victims that they will be paid when the government releases funds. Prison officials said the jail had no need for that much medicine and the drugs purchased by the duo never reached the jail.

The Telangana prison authorities had already launched a probe into the misappropriation of Rs 35 lakh medical funds a few weeks ago and this scam is a new twist to the case. The probe team is investigating if the previous jail superintendent was also involved with the two accused in this scam.

Cyberabad police said the jail’s medical officer Dr Raveendrani who had been on deputation at the jail since two years approached medical shop owners and told them that the Cherlapally jail authorities would purchase medicines worth crores from them.

Jail pharmacist V. Mallaiah is also involved in the scam. “They approached the owner of Ayyappa Medical store at Nagaram and said they will buy medicines worth Rs 2 crore for the jail. They convinced owner Mallareddy to give them medicines worth Rs 15 lakh on credit saying they would pay once the government transfers funds.

Later, they took him to Canara Bank and made him take a loan in the name of his shop promising that they will pay the installment and they took around Rs 10 lakh,” said inspector P. Guruva Reddy. The duo targeted three other medical stores in A.S. Rao Nagar, ECIL and near the Gandhi Medical College.

“They purchased medicines worth Rs 30 lakh from Arogya Dhanvantari in A.S. Rao Nagar on credit and did not pay. Similarly, they approached one at ECIL and purchased drugs worth Rs 5 lakh and one near Gandhi Hospital, from where they purchased medicines worth Rs 10 lakh on credit. The victims approached the jail authorities against the duo,” said an official.