Ayushman Card Scam: Khyati Hospital Chairman sent to 6 days police remand

Ahmedabad: The chairman of Khyati Hospital in Ahmedabad, Kartik Patel, who is currently in Sabarmati Central Jail following his arrest for the deaths of two PMJAY beneficiaries after a botched angioplasty in November last year, has been placed under a six-day custodial remand for interrogation by the Crime Branch in connection with a PMJAY card racket. 

This development comes after the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) of Ahmedabad City Police approached a magisterial court to request Patel’s custody for 14 days. Their investigation revealed his alleged role in issuing Ayushman cards to ineligible individuals, enabling fraudulent claims under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).

Also read- PMJAY Angioplasty Deaths Case: Khyati Hospital Chairman arrested

This year, the crime branch busted a racket where Ayushman cards were issued to ineligible persons. The investigation allegedly revealed the involvement of office-bearers of Khyati Hospital, which also included Patel in the list. Previously, Chirag Rajput, CEO of Khyati Multispecialty Hospital, was arrested in this regard. 

During the probe, police recovered between 1,200 and 1,500 cards issued to ineligible candidates at a nominal price, enabling them to illegally get access to the scheme benefits. While the crime branch requested 14 days of custody of him, the court granted only six days for interrogation.

As per the Indian Express news report, Patel was arrested on Tuesday from Sabarmati Central Jail in connection with the case and was interrogated before being presented in court. The court approved his custodial interrogation until March 11.

He has been in jail since his arrest on January 18 in three cases related to the deaths of two PMJAY beneficiaries from Borisana village of Kadi in Mehsana district.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that Kartik Patel was arrested after evading arrest for more than two months in connection with the deaths of two PMJAY beneficiaries. He was arrested after he landed at the Ahmedabad airport from Dubai late on Friday night.

Seven persons underwent angioplasty, a procedure that widens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries to improve blood flow to the heart, at Khyati Multispeciality Hospital on November 11 last year, following which two of them died, prompting Vastrapur police to register three FIRs the next day.

The probe showed the hospital organised free check-up camps in villages to convince Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) cardholders to undergo angioplasty despite no medical necessity. They were shown in the "emergency" category to expedite government approval, after which the hospital claimed payments under the Central scheme.

With Kartik Patel's arrest, the police have apprehended all nine accused in the case, including the hospital's CEO and the marketing director.

Also read- Gujarat Medical Council suspends 2 doctors over Angioplasty deaths case