Ahmedabad: A web of deceit surrounding the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) has been uncovered in Ahmedabad, where authorities busted a scam fabricating health cards for ineligible individuals and arrested six individuals. The investigation revealed that nearly 3,000 fraudulent cards were issued using tampered credentials, implicating multiple individuals, including the absconding owner of Khyati Hospital.
The racket was exposed during an investigation into the deaths of two PM-JAY beneficiaries at Khyati Multispecialty Hospital in Bodakdev on Nov 11, following unnecessary angioplasty procedures.
The police said the accused allegedly tampered with the official portal's source code using login credentials from an authorized outsourcing firm.
Joint Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Sharad Singhal revealed that Nikhil Parekh, the Gujarat head of Enser Communication — a govt contractor for Ayushman Bharat cards — was a key figure in the racket. "Parekh provided the master login ID to other accused, enabling them to bypass verification and approve ineligible beneficiaries. In exchange, Parekh reportedly charged Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 monthly from the perpetrators," said Singhal.
So far, the police have arrested eight persons in connection with the deaths at Khyati Hospital. The arrested individuals include Nimesh Dodia, Mohammad Fazal Sheikh, Mohammad Asfaque Sheikh (all from Ahmedabad), Imran Karigar (from Surat), and Narendra Singh Gohil and Imtiyaz (both from Bhavnagar). Key accused Kartik Patel, owner of Khyati Hospital, remains on the run, last traced to Dubai. Rashid from Bihar and Parekh are absconding, too.
According to investigators, the hospital management, at Kartik Patel's behest, hired ethical hacker Nimesh Dodia to fabricate Ayushman Bharat cards for ineligible patients. "Mehul Patel, a PMJAY desk employee at the hospital, revealed that Kartik Patel instructed CEO and director Chirag Rajput to collaborate with Dodia, a resident of Ahmedabad, to fabricate the cards. For each such card, Dodia charged Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000," Singhal said.
Dodia was connected to the other arrested individuals who were involved in forging Ayushman Bharat cards, the JCP added.
The scheme, orchestrated by Patel and executed by his team, enabled the hospital to falsely register patients under the "emergency" category, expedite govt approvals and claim payments for unnecessary procedures.
This fraudulent activity has raised questions about the extent of financial claims made under the scheme. Investigations are ongoing to determine how many of the 3,000 fake cardholders availed free treatment and whether more hospitals are involved in similar practices.
Ahmedabad: A web of deceit surrounding the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) has been uncovered in Ahmedabad, where authorities busted a scam fabricating health cards for ineligible individuals and arrested six individuals. The investigation revealed that nearly 3,000 fraudulent cards were issued using tampered credentials, implicating multiple individuals, including the absconding owner of Khyati Hospital.
The racket was exposed during an investigation into the deaths of two PM-JAY beneficiaries at Khyati Multispeciality Hospital in Bodakdev on Nov 11, following unnecessary angioplasty procedures.
The police said the accused allegedly tampered with the official portal's source code using login credentials from an authorized outsourcing firm.
Joint Commissioner of Police (crime branch) Sharad Singhal revealed that Nikhil Parekh, the Gujarat head of Enser Communication — a govt contractor for Ayushman Bharat cards — was a key figure in the racket. "Parekh provided the master login ID to other accused, enabling them to bypass verification and approve ineligible beneficiaries. In exchange, Parekh reportedly charged Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 monthly from the perpetrators," said Singhal.
So far, the police have arrested eight persons in connection with the deaths at Khyati Hospital. The arrested individuals include Nimesh Dodia, Mohammad Fazal Sheikh, Mohammad Asfaque Sheikh (all from Ahmedabad), Imran Karigar (from Surat), and Narendra Singh Gohil and Imtiyaz (both from Bhavnagar). Key accused Kartik Patel, owner of Khyati Hospital, remains on the run, last traced to Dubai. Rashid from Bihar and Parekh are absconding, too.
According to investigators, the hospital management, at Kartik Patel's behest, hired ethical hacker Nimesh Dodia to fabricate Ayushman Bharat cards for ineligible patients. "Mehul Patel, a PMJAY desk employee at the hospital, revealed that Kartik Patel instructed CEO and director Chirag Rajput to collaborate with Dodia, a resident of Ahmedabad, to fabricate the cards. For each such card, Dodia charged Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000," Singhal said.
Dodia was connected to the other arrested individuals who were involved in forging Ayushman Bharat cards, the JCP added.
The scheme, orchestrated by Patel and executed by his team, enabled the hospital to falsely register patients under the "emergency" category, expedite govt approvals and claim payments for unnecessary procedures.
This fraudulent activity has raised questions about the extent of financial claims made under the scheme. Investigations are ongoing to determine how many of the 3,000 fake cardholders availed free treatment and whether more hospitals are involved in similar practices.