City doc who wanted to open free Covid clinic in Shirdi lost ₹35L

A Mumbai doctor lost ₹35 lakh to fraud while trying to set up a free Covid-19 camp. He reported Dr. Suman Bandopadhyay to police for not returning the funds.

Mumbai: A city-based doctor who wanted to open a free Covid-19 medical camp for low-income patients during the peak pandemic in Shirdi, lost ₹35 lakh to a fraud.

City doc who wanted to open free Covid clinic in Shirdi lost ₹35L

Dr Deepak Vishwanath Chaturvedi, 47, filed a police complaint on Saturday against Dr Suman Bandopadhyay from Shirdi, who allegedly took the money to help him open the facility and never returned the amount.

Chaturvedi, who runs a clinic in Andheri’s Azad Nagar area told the Amboli police that he met Dr Bandopadhyay in 2020 when Covid started spreading.

During their conversation, Chaturvedi mentioned his plan to open the facility, which would provide free checkups and treatment and give patients essentials like gloves and facemasks, among other such articles. Bandopadhyay claimed that she was the trustee of Saibaba Hospital in Shirdi and also a member of a charitable NGO called Sainath Foundation, from which she could arrange money to open the clinic.

An excited Chaturvedi then started a crowdfunding and marketing initiative for the facility and his team managed to collect ₹35 lakh for the cause. Chaturvedi said Bandopadhyay took the entire amount for the establishment of the clinic and she disappeared. Chaturvedi alleged in his police complaint that she used the money for her own purposes and between 2020 and May 2024, Bandopadhyay did not respond to his calls or messages.

Chaturvedi then approached the police who after verifying the claims booked Bandopadhyay under sections ???? of IPC.

“We are verifying the complaint and investigating the transaction details. We will arrest Bandopadhyay soon,” said a police officer from Amboli police station.