Yes Bank loan case: Court asks St George’s Hospital to decide whether Avinash Bhosale needs further hospitalisation

Following this, the court directed the dean/head of the Indian Navy Hospital Ship (INHS), to examine all previous medical papers, prescriptions, medicines, and all details relating to the long hospitalisation and submit a report to the court

MUMBAI: A special court designated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Thursday directed the St George’s Hospital in Fort to take a decision on whether Pune-based businessman Avinash Bhosale requires further hospitalisation, considering that he had been admitted to the state-run hospital for over a year now.

Yes Bank loan case: Court asks St George’s Hospital to decide whether Avinash Bhosale needs further hospitalisation

Bhosle was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 26, 2022, for his alleged role in the Yes Bank – Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) loan fraud case. However, he 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 to Arthur Road Jail.

Following this, the court directed the dean/head of the Indian Navy Hospital Ship (INHS), to examine all previous medical papers, prescriptions, medicines, and all details relating to the long hospitalisation and submit a report to the court. Subsequently, the INHS constituted a body of eight experts, including experts from the medical branches of cardiology, orthopaedics, otorhinolaryngology, psychiatry, gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, surgical gastroenterology and urology. The body concluded that the 59-year-old Pune builder does not need continued hospitalisation and that his health can be monitored through visits to the hospital from jail.

In the current order, special judge MG Deshpande noted that while the CBI had not taken any step even after the submission of the confidential report, Bhosale requested the court to refer him to the treating doctor and call for his opinion on continued hospitalisation.

The order copy stated that the civic-run hospital had expressed views contrary to the INHS report, pointing out the current psychiatric condition of increased suicidal thoughts and panic attacks, suggesting close monitoring and continued hospitalisation “in view of risk to Bhosale’s life”.

“Neither the CBI nor Bhosale or the court are experts in the medical field to take the decision of discharging the accused builder based on the report. There are two reports that have contradictory opinions. In such a situation, mere contention of the CBI for discharging the accused without suggesting any remedies in the event of his health damage likely to take place if the accused is abruptly directed to be discharged against St George’s doctor’s opinion would be likely to create an unusual situation,” the special judge said.

The court further observed that INHS was not a hospital to which the court could direct every prisoner for treatment nor could the said hospital treat the accused on an OPD basis, ultimately directing the doctors from St George’s Hospital who have been treating Bhosale, to take the decision whether to continue the hospitalisation and convey the same to the court.

Bhosle was accused of 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.