The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against former vice chancellor of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences Prof Dr Sangita Bhandary, and 12 others at the Special Court.

According to CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Paudel, the accused were involved in irregularities during the purchase of an MRI machine at the academy in Ghorahi Sub-metropolitan City, Dang.

The accused include then acting registrar Jhankar Lamichhane, then finance manager Kailash Prasad Dev, biomedical engineer Sharad Bhandari, biomedical engineer at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital Maharajgunj Amit Kumar Chaudhary, deputy finance manager Nitin Kurmi, section officers Chhaya DC and Shreeram Chaudhary, IT officer Hiralal Bhandari, then civil engineer Madan Bhandari, then senior assistant Anju Sharma, and then biomedical engineer at the Department of Health Services Sujata Bhattarai.

Lumbini Healthcare Pvt Ltd and its chairperson Post Raj Gyawali have also been named in the case.

The CIAA has charged that former vice chancellor Bhandary and others were involved in purchasing low-quality MRI machines in violation of the Public Procurement Act and Regulations. The anti-graft body said in its charge sheet filed at the Special Court that the procurement was carried out without identifying actual needs or preparing a procurement master plan. It added that the purchase was made by colluding with officials and employees to commit irregularities.

They have been accused of embezzling Rs120.76 million. The CIAA has demanded that each of them be made to reimburse Rs93.43 million.