Rs 2.4 crore fraud at Hyderabad Hospital, former employee booked

Hyderabad: In a shocking incident, a former employee of Virinchi Hospital in Banjara Hills allegedly siphoned off more than Rs 2.4 crore from the hospital's accounts over a span of six years by manipulating payment records, prompting the Hyderabad Central Crime Station (CCS) to register a criminal case and launch an investigation.

According to reports, the complaint was lodged by Satyanarayana Vedula, Executive Director of Virinchi Health Care, which operates Virinchi Hospital. The complainant alleged that the accused was employed with the hospital from 2016 to 2022 and was entrusted with processing remuneration and professional fee payments to agents associated with the institution.

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As part of his responsibilities, the accused was allegedly responsible for preparing payment sheets, entering bank details and submitting bulk transfer files for payment.

The alleged fraud came to light during a recent internal review and forensic audit conducted by the hospital. The audit reportedly revealed that the accused manipulated payment records by replacing the genuine bank account details of agents with his own account and those belonging to his father, his brother, as well as other relatives and associates.

The complainant further alleged that the accused exploited a procedural loophole in the bulk transfer payment system, where banks process transactions based on account numbers without cross-verifying the beneficiary names.

“The accused initially siphoned off smaller amounts to test whether the manipulation could be detected. After confirming that the fraud was not immediately discovered, he gradually increased the frequency of illegal transfers and also the amount in subsequent financial years,” the complainant alleged, reports TOI.

Although the accused left the organisation in 2022, the alleged fraud came to light only recently during a comprehensive internal review and forensic audit. Verification of transaction records reportedly confirmed the unauthorized transfers amounting to over Rs 2.4 crore.

Based on the complaint, CCS police registered a case under Sections 408 (criminal breach of trust by a clerk or a worker), 420 (cheating) and 477-A (falsification of accounts), read with 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Speaking to TOI, a CCS official said, “The complainant has sought freezing of the beneficiary accounts, identification of accomplices, and recovery of the diverted funds. We are collecting evidence and based on the findings in the preliminary probe, appropriate legal action will be initiated.”

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