ACB closes plaint against CM in his son's Matrix lab case

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) has closed the complaint against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and others alleging nepotism and irregularities while awarding a contract to a company to set up a super speciality laboratory at the Victoria Hospital.

The contract was awarded to Matrix Imaging Solutions India Private Limited, in which Siddramaiah's son, was one of the directors.

S Bhaskaran, an RTI activist, had filed a complaint with the ACB in 2016 against the chief minister. The ACB closed the complaint on October 27, 2017. The ACB has stated that there was no evidence found in the complaint. "I was not even called for an inquiry even once. I had submitted documents related to the tender notification at the time of filing the complaint," Bhaskaran said.

Chirthahalli Mudlagiriyappa Rajeshgowda and Yathindra were the directors of Matrix Imaging Solutions India Private Limited, a company registered in 2009. The company was in the thick of controversy after it bagged the tender for setting up of the laboratory under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

Siddramaiah had defended the award of contract saying that a due process was complied with. The chief minister, however, later, asked his son to resign as the director of the company. Yathidnra issued a statement and said he had resigned as the director on April 16, 2016. Presently, the company has Malagonahally Uddappa Thejaswini as the other director, besides Rajeshgowda.