Ayushman Bharat Fraud: ED attaches Rs 55.33 lakh property of Assam Hospital owner

Guwahati: In a recent case of large-scale fraud under the AB-PMJAY (Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana) scheme, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Guwahati Zonal Office, has attached immovable properties worth Rs 55.33 lakh belonging to the proprietor of Shifa Hospital & Research Centre, Hailakandi, Assam.

The action follows a PMLA investigation initiated by ED based on an FIR registered by Hailakandi Police Station, Assam.

According to a recent UNI report, the ED investigation revealed that Shifa Hospital & Research Centre, Hailakandi, which was empanelled under the AB-PMJAY scheme, fraudulently raised 778 fake reimbursement claims amounting to Rs 64,10,780 during the period from April 22, 2019, to November 5, 2022, without providing any actual medical treatment to beneficiaries. The hospital was found to be non-existent at its declared address.

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The accused allegedly devised a systematic fraud in which beneficiaries holding Ayushman Bharat cards were induced to visit a makeshift setup and were photographed lying on hospital beds in exchange for a nominal payment of Rs 300. These staged photographs were then uploaded to the Transaction Management System (TMS) portal to generate fraudulent reimbursement claims for medical procedures that were never performed.

Following these fraudulent claims, a total of Rs 57.96 lakh was credited by the Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society (State Health Agency, Government of Assam) into the Bank of India account of Shifa Hospital & Research Centre. 

The ED investigation established that these funds, constituting “proceeds of crime” under Section 2(1)(u) of the PMLA, 2002, were systematically siphoned off through cash withdrawals and UPI transfers. 

Further investigation revealed that the accused acquired five parcels of immovable property and undertook construction of two multi-storeyed buildings during and after the period of receipt of the fraudulent funds, without any demonstrable legitimate source of income.

Accordingly, the ED has provisionally attached six immovable properties, including five land parcels and one floor of a multi-storeyed building, with a total value of Rs 55.33 lakh, representing the proceeds of crime.

Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.

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