Ahmedabad Crime Branch Unravels Multi-Crore Ayushman Bharat Card Scam at Khyati Hospital

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch uncovered a significant fraud involving Ayushman Bharat card manipulation at Khyati Hospital, arresting eight people. The scheme, linked to hospital operator Mehul Patel, involved creating fake patient cards to claim government funds unlawfully—a strategic exposure of large-scale corruption in healthcare services.

In a significant breakthrough, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch dismantled a multi-crore fraud operation involving Ayushman Bharat cards at Khyati Hospital. The bust, executed on Tuesday, resulted in the arrest of eight individuals involved in the intricate scheme. The Crime Branch Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP) Sharad Singhal confirmed that Mehul Patel, responsible for managing the hospital's Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) portal, was intricately involved in the fraudulent activities.

According to the investigation, as detailed by Singhal, patients arriving at the hospital without a PMJAY card were redirected to two individuals, Chirag Rajput and Kartik Patel, who facilitated card creation through an associate named Nimish. Notably, Kartik Patel holds a 51% stake in Khyati Hospital. Nimish would generate the PMJAY cards for a fee of Rs 1,500 each and relay them back to Mehul Patel. Subsequently, the hospital performed surgeries and claimed corresponding funds illegitimately under the government scheme, exploiting the bogus cards.

The Crime Branch further unearthed that the hospital organized camps offering to fabricate PMJAY cards for patients without one, thereby expanding the fraudulent activities. Singhal mentioned, "Upon investigation, we discovered that the camps arranged by Khyati Hospital facilitated the creation of PMJAY cards on-site for patients ineligible for the scheme, capitalizing on the loophole." This strategic crackdown exposed the misuse of government healthcare funds, highlighting the pervasive corruption within the system.

(With inputs from agencies.)