A FIR has been lodged by the Army authorities under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC at Amritsar Cantonment police station against 25 persons, including 15 doctors of various hospitals where, after investigation, the case against the doctors/ hospitals has been closed by the police,” the petitioner informed.
Punjab & Haryana High Court setting up SIT for investigating ECHS (ex-servicemen contributory health scheme ) scams.
Taking cognizance of a scam where signatures of senior Army officers were allegedly forged by private hospitals in Punjab to extract money through medical bills under the ex-servicemen contributory health scheme (ECHS), the Punjab and Haryana high court has ordered setting up of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the scam.
Senior IPS officer Prabodh Kumar, presently posted as special DGP (investigation) Lokpal Punjab, will head the SIT। The court made it clear that as the SIT head, Prabodh Kumar would be at liberty to choose his team, including one officer of the rank of superintendent of police.
“To avoid parallel investigations, he shall also investigate FIR No। 199 dated December 9, 2021, registered at Shahpur Kandi police station in Pathankot district under Sections 420, 467, 468, 471 IPC and a related matter being FIR No.184 which was registered on October 2, 2020, under same sections at Amritsar Cantonment police station,” said the court and also ordered the sealing of the entire record pertaining to the cases.
The HC directed the SIT to file its status report within one month and fixed the next hearing for January 17, 2022.
The HC directed the Punjab police chief to extend all possible assistance to the SIT, including logistics support, setting up of the camp office, etc। The Lokpal, Punjab, to which Prabodh Kumar is presently attached, has also been asked to grant the necessary permission to enable him to carry out the investigation.
Justice Deepak Sibal passed these orders while hearing a petition filed by Narinder Kumar seeking anticipatory bail in FIR No. 46, dated April 17, 2021, for cheating and related charges under IPC registered at Pathankot’s Shahpur Kandi police station।G
The FIR was registered on the complaint of Vijay Kumar Thappa of Amandeep Group of Hospitals, according to which the hospital received a complaint from the Army authorities that in the cases of certain patients referred to the hospital for treatment under the ECHS Scheme, signatures of the Army officials appended on the treatment documents, to verify the given treatment, appeared to be forged.
Inquiries conducted by the hospital had pointed the needle of suspicion towards the petitioner and one Abhinandan Thakur, who had been entrusted by the hospital with the task of seeking permissions/ approvals from the Army authorities with regard to admission/ treatment of patients referred under the ECHS Scheme.
In his plea for anticipatory bail, the petitioner argued that he had been made a scapegoat in the scam that involves the hospital and certain Army officials. He blamed the entire scam on its sole beneficiary, the hospital, and alleged that the investigating agency is under the influence of the hospital due to its deep pockets. On the other hand, the hospital put the entire blame on the petitioner and Abhinandan Thakur and claimed that they are the only players in the scam on the side of the hospital.
The petitioner contended that the hospital has been committing the aforementioned fraudulent activities since 2016 i.e. for around five years and under such fraudulent acts the hospital has unduly enriched itself by crores of rupees.
The police had been influenced by the hospital to give it a clean chit and this is in spite of the fact that the only beneficiary under the scam is the hospital.
“Lodging of such FIR is only to pull the wool over the eyes of this court as ultimately a formal clean chit will be given to the hospital management as had been done in the case of another FIR being FIR No।184 dated on October 2, 2020, under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC at Amritsar Cantonment police station by the Army authorities against 25 persons, including 15 doctors of various hospitals where, after investigation, the case against the doctors/ hospitals has been closed by the police,” the petitioner informed.
During the hearing of the case, the HC found that an affidavit was filed on behalf of the state on November 25 as per which, without giving any reason whatsoever and without even referring to any document, a clean chit was given to the hospital and again without any reason, the entire blame of the scam was pinned on the petitioner and coaccused Abhinandan Thakur.
However, in a complete contrary stand, the HC was again informed that on December 9, an FIR has been registered by the local police at Pathankot wherein the hospital is accused of the aforementioned fraudulent acts.
When the high court sought the reason for such change between November 25 and December 9 and that too when the assistant inspector general of police, investigation-1, Bureau of Investigation, Punjab had given the hospital a clean chit, the state counsel drew a blank.
