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Ayushman Bharat fraud case: ED raids Himachal Pradesh Cong MLA, CM’s associate
Officials said that medical bills on several occasions have been generated using fake cards, causing loss to the exchequer and the public
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out searches at 19 locations in Delhi, Chandigarh, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh, including Congress MLA R S Bali, in a case related to the generation of fake Ayushman Bharat AB-PMJAY ID cards and violation of the scheme against many hospitals, including Bankey Bihari Hospital, Fortis Hospital, and others, officials aware of the matter said.
Officials said that medical bills on several occasions have been generated using fake cards, causing loss to the exchequer and the public.
Bali is the Congress MLA from Nagrota and the chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation, and also the vice chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board.
Officials said that the searches are also being carried out at the premises of Dr. Rajesh Sharma of Shree Balaji Hospital, Kangra, a close associate of the chie minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
ED’s money laundering probe in the matter emerges from a first information report (FIR) filed by the Himachal Pradesh State Vigilance & Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV & ACB), Una.
“The prevention of money laundering act (PMLA) investigation revealed that apart from Bankey Bihari Hospital, Fortis Hospital, Shri Balaji Hospital, Sood Nursing Home, and Sri Harihar Hospital, etc. availed illegal benefits of the AB-PMJAY scheme,” an official said.
He added, “During the investigation, as many as 373 fake Ayushman cards were identified, wherein claims of about Rs.40,68,150, were made for reimbursement from the government in the name of treatments given to the said Ayushman Card beneficiaries.”
He said that the hospitals have also made claims for treatments, surgery, and admissions, which were actually never given or done to the patients of the Ayushman Card beneficiaries.
Investigation also revealed that these hospitals were de-empaneled from the scheme for illegal practices and non-compliance of procedures and guidelines.
“8,937 Ayushman Bharat golden cards have so far been scrapped in Himachal Pradesh for alleged violation of the AB-PMJAY scheme. The case involves proceeds of crime of about Rs.25 crore,” said anotehr official.
The second official said the Fortis Hospital in Kangra is a unit of his Congress MLA’s company, M/s Himachal Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.
“The hospital was also de-empanelled along with other hospitals,” the second official added.
