OOPS: NIA Summons Padmashri Cardiologist after confusing his Medical Jargon to Hawala Funding

New Delhi: A medical jargon used by Eminent Cardiologist and Padmashree Dr Upendra Kaul while texting a patient who happens to be a Kashmiri Separatist Leader, sent the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into overdrive after the sleuths mistook the jargon to be "hawala money"

In an oops moment for the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the agency summoned the cardiologist, a Padma awardee only to find out that the term "INR 2.78" used by him in the texts did not refer to Rs 2.78 - (presumed by the agency sleuths as short for Rs 2.78 crore) but actually   referred to the value of blood clotting "Internationalised Normalised Ratio"

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 30 "examined" leading Delhi-based cardiologist and Batra Hospital Chairman Upendra Kaul in the ongoing terror funding case registered by the agency in 2017.

"Kaul was summoned as a witness. He was examined on August 30 (Friday)," said a senior NIA official requesting anonymity. According to the officer, Kaul was examined in the terror funding case on the basis of electronic evidence. The NIA's move followed an SMS exchange of the doctor with Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik, who is in Delhi's Tihar jail in the terror funding case.

IANS reports that NIA may have mistaken the blood report value for "hawala money". One of the messages said "Blood Report Value INR 2.78" - INR being Internationalised Normalised Ratio.

Kaul, who has been treating Malik for various cardiac ailments for two decades, told NIA officials the number in the separatist leader's papers referred to a blood test and not crores of rupees. The cardiologist said he was out of the NIA headquarters within 30 minutes.

"I explained to them that the figure mentioned was related to his (Malik's) blood reports and not money. The officers were convinced and that's all," Kaul told media persons after the questioning. He said he told the NIA that Malik had been his patient and had consulted him for heart trouble and the entry in the documents pertained to that. Malik is in Tihar Jail in judicial custody in two cases, including one related to terror funding.

Kaul has been critical of the Centre for revoking Jammu and Kashmir's special status and the communications clampdown that followed. The NIA is probing a case related to terror funding of various groups and is examining messages exchanged by Malik with various people over a period of time. "We are checking everyone. We have perused volumes of documents, going into every minute detail to be sure of the facts which have to finally undergo legal scrutiny in a court of law," a senior NIA official said.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said meticulous investigation has resulted in ensuring that all those arrested by the NIA in terror funding cases have not been able to get bail

Currently chairman of Batra Heart Centre, Kaul established cardiology units at several hospitals in the government and private sector, including at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and the Fortis chain of hospitals.