NHM Fraud: Agra Woman linked to 25 Deliveries, 5 Sterilizations; 3 Held

Agra: In a shocking case of healthcare fraud, a woman from Agra who gave birth to only two sons eight years ago has come under media spotlight after her medical records on paper falsely showed that she delivered 25 babies over 30 months and underwent five sterilization procedures.

Not only this, but she is also reported to have claimed Rs 45,000 under the Janani Suraksha Yojana, a central scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM). However, surprisingly, the woman has no idea why so many births were shown under her name, as she didn’t give birth to those babies or take any money.

The accused behind the alleged scam shared this false information with the government just to claim the money. They received the money into a bank account that was opened using fake documents in the woman's name.

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Health department officials investigating the case have identified five people involved in the scam. Four of them are employees of the health department, while the fifth is an agent from the woman’s village, who also happens to be her relative.

Taking action against them, the police registered a FIR against all five accused, including Gaurav Thapa (Block Programme Manager), Neeraj Awasthi (Block Accounting Manager), Gautam Singh (Data Entry Operator), and Azhar Ahmed (Data Entry Operator at another CHC), along with Ashok Kumar, the agent.

Out of the five accused, three have been arrested so far, and an investigation is ongoing to catch the remaining two.

This alleged scam was uncovered during an audit by the Uttar Pradesh Department of Health and Family Welfare. The audit exposed shocking records and irregularities in the National Health Mission (NHM) schemes, especially the Janani Suraksha Yojana and the Mahila Sterilisation Incentive Scheme, which provide financial support to women for childbirth and sterilisation. It revealed that a total of Rs 45,000 was approved in the woman’s name under these schemes.

Under these schemes, women are usually given financial assistance like Rs 1,400 for giving birth in rural areas, Rs 1,000 for urban deliveries, and Rs 2,000 for undergoing sterilisation. To take advantage of this, the accused falsely increased the number of births and sterilisation procedures in the woman’s name to illegally collect the money from the government.

The woman involved in the case is originally from Nagla Kadam village in Aligarh district but currently lives in Gurugram, Haryana, with her husband. She is a mother of two sons—the elder born in 2014 and the younger in 2017. She confirmed that she did undergo sterilisation after her second delivery, but denied undergoing the procedure five times, as mentioned in the official records.

The woman’s statement was recorded on Tuesday by Agra Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Arun Srivastava. According to a recent report by the PTI, sources in the district administration revealed that the audit uncovered a scam involving around Rs 9 lakh. The amount was fraudulently claimed under the Janani Suraksha Yojana for fake deliveries and sterilisation procedures that existed only on paper.

Following the revelations, Dr. Pinky Jorwal, Mission Director of the NHM in Uttar Pradesh, visited Agra on Tuesday to carry out a detailed inquiry. During her two-day visit, she inspected the Community Health Centres (CHCs) and other neonatal facilities to assess the extent of the fraud and prepared a comprehensive report which revealed the scam involving this village woman.

How were incentives claimed?

The agent involved in the scam, who is also a relative of the woman, allegedly opened a bank account in her name at the Bank of India. However, he deliberately didn’t link her mobile number to the account, so that she never received any transaction alerts. This allowed him to collect the funds by falsely showing her as the beneficiary, without her knowledge.

The Janani Suraksha Yojana, launched in 2005, aims to reduce maternal and newborn deaths by encouraging institutional deliveries. Under the scheme, pregnant women who deliver at government health facilities are eligible for cash assistance—Rs 1,400 in rural areas and Rs 1,000 in urban areas. The amount may differ for women from below the poverty line (BPL) families or those belonging to SC/ST communities.

Agra Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Arun Srivastava, who carried out a preliminary investigation into the case, revealed that the accused withdrew all funds sent to the fake accounts using UPI.

Shockingly, the fraud wasn’t limited to just one woman. The accused is said to have targeted 45 other women as well, all of whom became victims without their knowledge. He opened bank accounts in their names and linked them all to his own mobile number, allowing him to access and withdraw all the funds meant for them under various health schemes.

These women have now become victims of the scam unknowingly and were also grilled by investigating officers who visited their village to probe the matter and to check the authenticity of the information.

Although five individuals have been identified as part of the fraud, a health official told TOI that such fraudulent claims couldn’t have occurred without internal collaboration. The official suspects that more people within the system, including administrative staff, nurses, and possibly doctors, might also be involved, and their participation cannot be ruled out.

Following the shocking discovery, the police registered a case under BNS sections 318-4 (cheating and dishonesty), 338 (forgery of valuable securities, wills and other important documents), 336 (forgery, encompassing creation or alteration of documents or electronic records with fraudulent intent) against all the accused. Three of them have been arrested, including the agent.

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