SATV Kathmandu Oct 10: The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a corruption case against 13 individuals, including former Vice Chancellor of Rapti Academy of Health Sciences (RAHS), Prof Dr Sangeeta Singh Bhandari, over the procurement of a substandard MRI machine.

CIAA spokesperson Rajendra Kumar Paudel said the case accuses Dr Bhandari and others of financial irregularities amounting to Rs 120.76 million.

Other defendants include former acting registrar Jhankar Lamichhane, finance manager Kailash Prasad Dev, biomedical engineer Sharad Bhandari, Kathmandu-based engineer Amit Kumar Chaudhary, and deputy finance manager Nitin Kurmi.

The charge sheet also names several other officials and Lumbini Healthcare Pvt. Ltd. and its chairperson Posta Raj Gyawali. The CIAA has sought recovery of the misappropriated amount from all accused.