New Delhi : HC sets aside over Rs 100 crore fine on Fortis Escorts

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court has set aside the AAP government's order imposing over Rs 100 crore fine on Fortis Escorts Heart Institute here for allegedly refusing to provide free treatment to poor patients after the government said it will hear the hospital afresh on the issue.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government told Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva that its special committee, which had recommended imposition of the fine, will give a second hearing to the hospital on whether it had provided free treatment to poor patients.

"In view of the above, order of June 9, 2016 is set aside," the court said and added that the panel can hear the hospital on August 10 or any other date as decided by it and disposed of the plea of Fortis which had alleged that it was not given a sufficient hearing before imposition of the fine.

The judge asked the panel to pass an appropriate order in accordance with the law.

Besides Fortis, the Delhi government had asked four other Delhi-based private hospitals -- Max Super Speciality Hospital (Saket), Dharamshila Cancer Hospital, Shanti Mukand Hospital and Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute -- to deposit "unwarranted profits" they earned from allegedly refusing free treatment to the poor.