The matter was taken to court by Gurgaon-based RTI activist Raman Sharma.
An FIR has been lodged against the chairman and managing director of Medanta Hospital, his organisation, Global Health Pvt Ltd, and 14 others, including various Haryana government officials, for allegedly indulging in money laundering and corruption in setting up the hospital as well as its operations. Dr Naresh Trehan, chairman and MD, denied the claims.
Officials said the FIR was lodged Saturday, following directions of Additional Sessions Judge Ashwani Kumar, under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and forgery, sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The matter was taken to court by Gurgaon-based RTI activist Raman Sharma.
ASJ Kumar had directed, “In view of the facts incorporated in the complaint, coupled with voluminous documents enclosed… this court finds that without proper investigation, justice cannot be done in this case for which lodging FIR is prerequisite. Hence, the present complaint is sent to police station Sadar, Gurgaon, for lodging FIR…”
Inspector Naveen Kumar, SHO of Sadar police station, said: “We received directions from the court to lodge an FIR. It has been registered against Global Health Pvt Ltd, which has developed the hospital, and others.”
Stating that the allegations in the complaint are “completely false, baseless and motivated”, Dr Trehan said: “This complaint has been filed by a person who claims to be an RTI activist. But it has been reported in the press that he has had an FIR for extortion registered against him.”
In his complaint, Sharma alleged that when people were removed from their ancestral land in Sector 38 in 2004, the Haryana government had advertised for a ‘Medicity Project’, envisaged as “having super specialty hospital of international standard, academic medical institutions… to provide state-of-the-art medical facilities at one place along with ancillary… facilities in the form of shopping mall, yatri niwas etc.”
The 53 acres earmarked for the same, the complainant stated, was to be split into “five sites of varied sizes for different allottees”. Terms and conditions for the project, the complainant further claims, included that the allottee would complete construction of “at least 25%” of the project built-up area and start facility of hospital “within two years from date of offer of possession”, and complete it “in all respects” in five years.
The complainant accused the government officials of “causing pecuniary advantage” to the other accused and “immense loss to the state”; abusing their position “by criminal misconduct and influence”; and allotting the entire site to Dr Trehan “without any consideration of financial capability… re-advertisement and calling for new applications with respect to changed terms and offer… without sanction of the Hon’ble High Court for such a revised scheme”.
“The green belt was removed and bundh area included to cause allotment of contiguous 43 acres of institutional land at undervalued rates to the accused,” alleges the complainant.
He also alleged that the allotment hid acts of omission and commission by the government officials, leaving “crucial parameters like decision on service lanes at the mercy of the accused”.