Doctors Charged in Thane for Defrauding CM’s Medical Fund
Authorities have filed charges against three doctors accused of misappropriating Rs 4.75 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Fund by submitting falsified patient records and documents at a hospital in Thane district, Maharashtra, according to officials.
The Chief Minister’s office issued a statement on Saturday, describing the alleged fraud as profoundly troubling, emphasizing that the fund is designed to aid underprivileged patients’ medical treatments.
Due to the gravity of the accusations, the investigation has been handed over to the Economic Offences Wing, the statement noted.
On April 17, a case was lodged at Khadakpada police station under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), and other applicable provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The fraudulent activities reportedly occurred between May and July 2023, a police official confirmed.
According to the CM’s office, the accused Dr. Anudurg Dhone (45), Dr. Pradeep Bapu Patil (41), and Dr. Ishwar Pawar allegedly created fictitious records for 13 nonexistent patients at Ganpati Multi-Speciality Hospital in Ambivili, Mohane. They submitted counterfeit documents, including fabricated surgical and treatment records, to secure Rs 4.75 lakh from the fund.
A police official stated, “The doctors constructed an intricate scheme of falsified medical records to make it appear as though actual patients received treatment, complete with invented surgical and care documentation.”
The scam was uncovered on July 11, 2023, when discrepancies surfaced in two significant claims: Rs 3.7 lakh for “Arvind Solkhi” and Rs 3.1 lakh for “Bhagwan Bhadane,” both supposedly for brain-related treatments. Investigations revealed that these patients were admitted to hospitals other than those listed in the claims.
An inspection of Ganpati hospital, where Bhadane was reportedly admitted, revealed its deplorable condition. When asked for documentation, Dr. Dhone fled, citing the need to pick up his child from school, according to the CM’s office.
Further inquiries showed that Dr. Dhone failed to appear when summoned to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on July 17, 2023. In his statement, he implicated Dr. Pawar and Dr. Patil, claiming they assisted in getting the hospital approved for the government panel. Notably, the contact details provided in the applications were linked to Pawar and Patil, not the alleged patients or their families, the release added.
Rameshwar Naik, head of the CM Relief Fund Cell, declared a zero-tolerance policy for those exploiting government welfare programs, vowing that the “harshest possible measures” would be taken against the perpetrators.