At the centre of the PMJAY controversy following the death of two beneficiaries after “unnecessary angioplasty”, Khyati Multispeciality Hospital, Ahmedabad, is learnt to have conducted at least 13 medical camps in as many villages of Gujarat within a very short period of time, the Ahmedabad Police’s Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) said.
The revelation is likely to also widen the probe being conducted by the State Anti Fraud Unit (SAFU) of the Gujarat government into the matter.
“Evidence has been found that the hospital had conducted 13 medical camps in Gujarat villages in a very short span of time,” according to a statement from the Crime Branch. The records of these earlier camps conducted by Khyati Hospital were recovered during examination of medical records and other files seized from the hospital by the team of medical experts appointed by the health department to aid the police in the investigation, according to the Crime Branch.
Two people from Borisana village in Mehsana district — Mahesh Girdhar Barot (52) and Nagar Moti Senma (75) — died after undergoing angioplasty procedure at the hospital last week.
According to the statement from Crime Branch on Tuesday evening, apart from the five accused named in the three FIRs , they suspect the involvement of another CEO and a Marketing Manager of the hospital in the alleged scam. If they are named as accused in the case, it will take the total number of persons under investigation to seven.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch also confirmed that Look Out Circulars (LOCs) had been issued against the four accused directors of Khyati Hospital, all of whom are accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit culpable homicide, and cheating the government exchequer and families of patients on whom surgeries were performed without consent.
Chairman Kartik Jasu Patel, Director Chirag Hirasingh Rajput, Director Rajshree Pradeep Kothari as well as Director Dr Sanjay Mulji Patolia, all part owners of the hospital’s holding company — Ahmedabad Bariatrics and Cosmetics Pvt Ltd — have been missing since FIRs were filed on November 13. Meanwhile, the custody of visiting cardiologist, Dr Prashant Prakash Vazirani, the only person to have been arrested so far , is ending on Thursday.
