Money Laundering Case: Former Lava MD sent imposter for checkup at Delhi AIIMS
New Delhi: The Delhi Police arrested a man while undergoing an echocardiogram at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Friday for allegedly impersonating Hari Om Rai, the former managing director of Lava International, who is an accused in a money laundering case involving Chinese smartphone-maker Vivo-India and others.
According to officials, the impersonator was detained while undergoing an echocardiogram at the medical institute under Rai's name.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had sought from the Delhi Police registration of FIR against Hari Om Rai and his son Pranay Rai, Ram and a few others on Thursday. The alleged impersonator was placed under arrest on Friday, news agency PTI reported.
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Hari Om Rai had been arrested by the ED in October last year on money laundering charges and was granted three-month medical bail by the Delhi High Court in February due to cardiac issues. Rai had recently applied for an extension of his medical bail, leading the court to order a cardiac health examination at AIIMS.
On Thursday, a team of ED officials arrived at AIIMS to oversee Rai’s medical examination. Despite several emails, Rai did not appear until 1 PM. His son informed the officials that Rai was unwell and would arrive soon. However, ED officials and AIIMS staff discovered Naval Kishor Ram undergoing an examination using Rai's court-issued documents.
A source told PTI that a team of ED officials had reached AIIMS on Thursday to supervise the medical examination of Hari Om Rai. He, however, did not appear till 1 pm even as three emails were sent to him during this period.
His son told ED officials waiting at AIIMS that Hari Om Rai was “unwell” and would reach the hospital “as soon as possible”, the source said.
Faced with non-cooperation, the source said, ED officials and AIIMS staff reached the cardiology ECHO lab where they were “shocked” to find another person being examined by a doctor on duty in Hari Om Rai’s name and using court-issued documents.
The man, later identified as Naval Kishor Ram, “initially claimed” to be Hari Om Rai but on subsequent questioning disclosed his real name to the ED officials.
He (Ram) said he was instructed by a doctor at a private health facility, Vasant Health Centre, to take the high court’s documents meant for Hari Om Rai and original medical records, and get “free treatment” for himself in Rai’s name.
Ram and his nephew were detained by the agency at AIIMS and subsequently, his personal search was conducted and a ‘panchnama’ was prepared.
“He (Ram) was instructed to tell his name as Hari Om Rai,” the ED officials informed police through the FIR in the case.
The ED charged Hari Om Rai, Ram and others on the charge of “criminal conspiracy” and handed over Ram to police, which arrested him on Friday.
Ram informed the ED officials that he had done a similar check-up in Hari Om Rai’s name on May 8 and that on Thursday, the former MD’s associate Chandrasekhar Rai brought him for a fresh checkup at AIIMS.
The ED found Hari Om Rai also “arranged” for Ram to undergo a CT coronary angiogram at a private diagnostic clinic on March 5 and the report “falsely” attributed the cardiac findings to Hari Om Rai.
The agency informed the high court on Thursday about the alleged impersonation and cheating, following which Hari Om Rai was refused extension of bail and was sent to Tihar jail under judicial custody.
The police FIR includes charges under sections 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 464 (making false document), 468 (forgery), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
