How doctors servant, small plot owner are linked to Rs 700-crore medical fraud

The Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (Central MARD) welcomed Mhatre’s arrest and said resident doctors in all government medical colleges and hospitals would wear black ribbons on Thursday while continuing medical services. The alleged assault on doctors and nurses at a civic hospital in Dombivli snowballed into a statewide confrontation between the medical fraternity and the Maharashtra government, even as the main accused — Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre — surrendered before the Thane police following arrest of three of his associates Wednesday. Later in the evening Mhatre complained of blood pressure and other health ailments following which he was admitted in Thane civil hospital.Earlier, resident doctors and nurses announced protests across the state, while healthcare organisations warned of an indefinite stir if strict action is not taken against those responsible. The Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors (Central MARD) welcomed Mhatre’s arrest and said resident doctors in all government medical colleges and hospitals would wear black ribbons on Thursday while continuing medical services. It stressed the agitation is aimed at seeking long-term measures to curb rising incidents of violence against healthcare workers across state. The Maharashtra State Nurses Association said nurses across the state would begin a three-day black-ribbon protest from July 10 and warned that it would intensify the agitation after July 13 if no concrete action was taken. The Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors’ Association and the BMC MARD also condemned the incident, sought Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s intervention and demanded a zero-tolerance policy against violence in hospitals. In separate memoranda to the chief minister, the doctors’ and nurses’ organisations described the alleged assault as an attack on the dignity of healthcare workers and the functioning of public hospitals. They demanded immediate arrests, strict action under the Maharashtra Medicare Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, stronger hospital security, and protection for doctors and nurses performing their duties. Dr Manisha Shinde, president of Nurses Association, said: “People have no fear of law and order and think they can get away easily after assaulting doctors, nurses or any other medical staff deployed to treat them. There has to be strict action so that no one dares to repeat such acts… We want the CM to take this matter very seriously. Doctors and nurses are already treating an overwhelming number of patients despite being under-staffed and overworked.”

For two days after he was assaulted inside Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s (KDMC) Shastrinagar Hospital by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, the 26-year-old resident medical officer (RMO) says he lived in fear, constantly changing locations after allegedly receiving threatening phone calls and messages, and being followed by unknown persons.On Tuesday, he, and four other staff members who were assaulted, submitted their resignation letters, and have not returned to work since. “We don’t want to work in a place where there’s no assurance of security and no respect for us. People think government doctors have power or high salaries. I was working for only Rs 35,000 (per month). We work overtime every day,” he told The Indian Express.The doctor, who said he did not want to be identified as he feared for his safety, added that he chose not to tell his mother about the assault. “My mother is a school teacher. She is a single parent, and I am her only child. I don’t have the courage to tell her what happened. I cannot imagine what she will go through if she knows. Right now, I am just trying to survive,” he said. Hours after Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre surrendered before the police on Wednesday evening and was arrested along with his aides, the doctor said he felt a sense of relief but rejected Mhatre’s claim that he had not assaulted a woman doctor. “He has tried to shift the focus by highlighting this, knowing that it is a sensitive issue. But that does not justify the assault on a male doctor. No camera angle can hide the truth of what actually happened.” “I feel relieved… I am grateful to everyone who stood by me and brought the truth to light. I hope this sends a strong message — that no politician, or anyone else, will dare to assault doctors and any medical staff in the future,” he said. According to the FIR registered at Vishnunagar police station, the doctor has been working as an RMO at the hospital for nearly five months. On Monday, he was on evening duty, from 3 pm to 10 pm, along with another woman doctor, two nurses and a hospital attendant. According to the doctor, the trouble began around 6 pm, when the relatives of a woman asked for a bed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before delivery. He said the woman’s ultrasound had shown the umbilical cord was wrapped around the foetus, prompting the gynaecologist to advise an emergency caesarean section. As the baby was anticipated to require intensive neonatal care after birth, the family insisted on a bed in the NICU.Story continues below this ad “Shastrinagar Hospital has only one emergency NICU bed, which was already occupied by another critically ill newborn suffering from respiratory distress. The family wanted us to give them that bed, and discharge the baby who had already been admitted. We explained that was medically impossible. We assured that we would arrange treatment at another KDMC hospital with NICU facilities, but they insisted on Shastrinagar Hospital,” he recalled. Around 7.30 pm, the patient’s brother telephoned the RMO asking that a bed be arranged. “Shortly afterwards, I started receiving repeated phone calls from KDMC corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who insisted that we have to arrange a bed by any means. When I explained to him that no bed was available, he started abusing and threatening me… There was no way to create a new NICU bed. We cannot discharge another critically ill newborn,” he said. He said that around 8 pm, four-five men, including the corporator, and a woman barged into the labour ward, where he, a woman doctor, two nurses and a hospital attendant were on duty. “The group abused the medical staff, damaged hospital property, including the oxygen storage area, and physically assaulted us. They struck me on the head with a hospital register and knocked my mobile phone out of my hand as I attempted to contact senior hospital officials,” he said. “I was the only male doctor there, so I became their punching bag. They r

A company director allegedly worked as a “servant” to a doctor while another owned only a 20-square-metre plot: these were among the startling details disclosed by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in a Delhi court on Tuesday in connection with the alleged Rs 700 crore medical supplies fraud case. The agency claimed that despite their “modest” backgrounds, firms linked to the two directors — that are now under scanner — handled contracts worth hundreds of crores, alleging that procurement norms were manipulated to favour selected companies.“A director of a company was a servant to some doctor. Transaction has been of more than 200 crores. Another director had only a 20 square metre plot,” Chief Public Prosecutor Pramod Kumar, on behalf of the ACB, told the court.“Without proceeding further in Government E-marketplace (a digital platform for procurement of goods & services), the accused gave individual agreements. All the hospitals got their purchases through the Central Procurement Agency (CPA).” CPA is the nodal agency responsible for procuring and supplying medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to Delhi government hospitals and healthcare facilities. The case pertains to an alleged medical procurement fraud within Delhi’s health department. Former Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr Vatsala Aggarwal, former CPA Deputy Controller of Accounts Neeraj Chopra and Dr Vinod Kumar Ranga, former Head of Office CPA, have so far been arrested by the ACB in the case. The case began with a Vigilance Department complaint that was converted into an FIR on June 2, and revolves around alleged widespread irregularities, manipulated tenders, and the siphoning of public funds meant for medicines, surgical items, and hospital equipment. “They (the accused) went to GeM after the tender was floated… They selected firms of their preference and prepared a supply order in a physical form. All the files are missing, only the payment orders are there,” the ACB submitted in the court. “The decisions were taken in a collective manner. Every decision was taken by Dr Vatsala Aggarwal. Bids of tenders had been pending since 2024 as well,” it added.Story continues below this ad The agency also told the court, “The decisions were taken in a collective manner. Every decision was taken by Dr Vatsala Aggarwal. Bids of tenders had been pending since 2024 as well.” The agency sought to extend the judicial custody of all three arrested accused by 14 days. It submitted that the role of other public servants, private individuals and beneficiary firms in the conspiracy of the offence was under investigation. It also submitted that crucial documentary evidence was yet to be collected and the Investigating Officer in the case was in the process of analysing electronic evidence, examining witnesses and verifying the money trail. Allowing the custody request, Special Judge Dheeraj Mor of Rouse Avenue Court, said, “Considering the grounds mentioned in the application and having regard to the facts and circumstances of the present case including seriousness of the allegations, all three accused are remanded to Judicial Custody and they will be produced on July 20,” he said. Rajiv Rangila, a key accused who the ACB said was a medicine supplier and pharmaceutical trader, is still absconding. The ACB also told the court that he had multiple cases against him. “We searched eight places including a small Lakshmi Nagar shop. We conducted raids on July 2. His house was locked. He has multiple properties including a farmhouse in Karnal and one property in Rishikesh,” the ACB said.The court also issued a non-bailable warrant against Rangila.Story continues below this ad During the hearing, Dr Aggarwal, who was seemingly in tears, told the Judge, “In all those files which came to me, I just signed them. All were L1 drawn with proper justifications. I’ve got 30 more departments besides CPA. After the file is signed by me, it is sent back. In no way, I have flouted any