Blood worth Rs 1.4 crore moved ‘illegally’ from Rotary bank in Noida

A former president of the Rotary Club of Noida and the Rotary Noida Blood Bank was booked for allegedly illegally transferring and selling blood estimated to be worth around Rs 1.4 crore to other blood banks in Kanpur and Gorakhpur, the police said.

Police officials said an FIR was registered at Noida’s Sector 20 police station against Satish Singhal, former president and managing trustee of Rotary Club, Noida, based on a complaint by the Rotary club.

The FIR alleges that Singhal illegally transferred 7,000 units of blood to Mayanajali Charitable Blood Bank in Kanpur worth Rs 1,19,00,000 and 1,087 units of blood to Sree Lakhan Sewa Kalashi Charitable Blood Bank in Gorakhpur worth Rs 18,47,900.

The estimated per-unit cost of blood is Rs 1,700, according to the FIR.

Officials from the Noida Police said they have launched an investigation and have registered a case under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code.

“We are investigating the matter. We are currently waiting for the two sides to provide further evidence. Arrests in such matters can only take place after a proper investigation. Further action will be taken soon,” said Manish Kumar Saxena, station house officer, Sector 20 police station.

“During our audits, we found certain discrepancies following which a complaint was registered with the police,” said Sudhir Walia, the lawyer representing the Rotary Club of Noida, who filed the police complaint.

According to the FIR, the incident came to light after an employee sacked from the blood bank claimed that Singhal had allegedly withdrawn Rs 28.75 lakh from the blood bank’s account. The employee, identified as Feroze Alam, was later sacked after the cash withdrawal allegedly by Singhal himself. After getting sacked, Alam reportedly informed other trustees about the Singhal’s alleged illegal activities.

“I will give my detailed reply against the allegations made by Walia and others to the police and court... They have lodged a complaint on the basis of few ex-employees who were fired by me,” said Satish Singhal, who was the president of Rotary Club of Noida from 2006 to 2007. In 2011, he was appointed the managing trustee of the Rotary Noida Blood Bank and remained in the position till 22nd October, 2017.

“They will never be able to prove any of the allegations. I have my side of story, but I will come out with it very soon. Right now, they have lodged the complaint so I don’t have much to say,” added Singhal.

Meanwhile, Gautam Budh Nagar chief medical officer Anurag Bhargav said he will be looking into the matter. “I will get the details from Sector 20 police to understand the whole matter,” said Bhargav.