CBI allows to set up medical board to examine Avinash Bhosale

A special court has allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to form a medical board to examine Avinash Bhosale, a Pune businessman, who has been hospitalized for nine months. The court has raised doubts about the prolonged hospitalization and wants a second opinion. Bhosale was arrested in May 2022 for his alleged involvement in a loan fraud case. The CBI alleges that he received funds from DHFL, a company involved in the fraud.

MUMBAI: Observing that Avinash Bhosale had been admitted to the St Georges Hospital for long, a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court on Wednesday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to constitute a medical board of expert doctors from a naval hospital, INHS Aswini in Colaba to examine the high-profile Pune businessman and ascertain the necessity of his hospitalization for around nine months.

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The court said the prayer made by the central agency was justified because the prolonged period for which the accused has been hospitalized has created doubts.

“Reference of the accused (Bhosale) to the Medical Board of I.N.H.S. does not mean that the Court is doubtful about the treatment given to the accused by St George’s Hospital. However, it will help the Court as well as the agency to find out the real circumstances leading to the long hospitalization of the accused,” said special judge MG Deshpande. The court said the doubts could be cleared only through a second opinion.

Bhosale was arrested in May 2022 and was admitted to St George’s Hospital in October 2022 but was discharged three months later. Subsequently, he was admitted again as a suspected case of Covid-19 or viral influenza on referral by Arthur Road Jail to St George’s Hospital. However, this reference and admission to the state-run hospital were without the court’s permission, the CBI application said.

“Even after passing an order of more than 9 months his (Bhosale’s) hospitalisation is continued on the pretext of one or the other medical issues. A board of doctors from the hospital examined the prolonged hospitalization and justified the same in November 2023. Since then, even after two months, the accused is still admitted,” CBI said and sought to get a fresh evaluation done by independent specialized doctors to reveal the true picture.

Acting on the plea, the court has directed the Dean/Head of I.N.H.S, Aswini, Navy Nagar, Colaba to examine all previous medical papers, prescriptions, medicines, and all details relating to the long hospitalization and submit a report to the court.

Bhosle was arrested by the CBI on May 26, 2022, for his alleged role in the Yes Bank – Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) loan fraud case. After Yes Bank’s investment in DHFL, huge loan amounts were disbursed by DHFL to the Radius Group of Sanjay Chhabria, in breach of the established credit norms of DHFL.

According to the CBI, between April and June 2018, Yes Bank had invested around ₹4,727 crore in short-term non-convertible debentures and Masala Bonds of DHFL. The bank had also sanctioned a term loan of ₹750 crore to a DHFL group firm.

In return, the then Yes Bank MD and CEO Rana Kapoor received a kickback of ₹600 crore from DHFL in the form of a loan to his family firm, Do It Urban Ventures (India) Private Limited, the CBI had said, adding that Avinash Bhosale group companies had received ₹569.22 crore from DHFL, including funds routed through Radius Group of builder Sanjay Chhabriaa.