6 held in Gujarat for fraudulently issuing PM-JAY cards to ineligible candidates
Ahmedabad, Dec 17: Police in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city have busted a racket allegedly involved in fraudulently issuing Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) cards to ineligible candidates, and arrested six persons in this connection, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused issued the PM-JAY cards to ineligible beneficiaries by altering the source code of the official portal using login credentials of an authorised outsourcing firm, they said.
The scam was unearthed by the city police's crime branch during its investigation into the deaths of two PM-JAY beneficiaries at Ahmedabad-based Khyati Multispeciality Hospital on November 12 following a botched angioplasty procedure, the police officials said.
So far, the police have arrested eight persons in connection with the deaths at the hospital. Key accused Kartik Patel, owner of the hospital, is still untraceable and is believed to be out of India.
The PM-JAY is a flagship scheme of the central government that provides a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per year to eligible families.
"During the probe, it came to light that one Nikhil Parekh, the Gujarat head of Enser Communication, which holds a government contract for issuing Ayushman Bharat cards, had allegedly provided the master login credentials to other accused for issuing cards to ineligible persons," Joint Commissioner of Police, (Crime) Sharad Singhal said.
The accused helped nearly 3,000 persons in acquiring the Ayushman Bharat cards using this fraudulent means, he said, adding that the scamsters used to charge Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 from each beneficiary.
The arrested accused were identified as Nimesh Dodiya, Mohammad Fazal Sheikh, Mohammad Asfaque Sheikh (all from Ahmedabad), Imran Karigar (from Surat) and Narendra Singh Gohil and Imtiyaz (both from Bhavnagar).
The absconding accused have been identified as Nikhil Parekh, one Rashid from Bihar and owner of Khyati Hospital Kartik Patel, who is believed to be out of India, Singhal said.
"Our probe into the deaths of two PM-JAY beneficiaries showed that the hospital management, at the behest of Kartik Patel, had hired Nimesh Dodiya, an ethical hacker, to prepare Ayushman Bharat cards of ineligible patients. For each card created through fraudulent means, Dodiya used to charge Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000," he said.
Dodiya was connected with other arrested accused who were also involved in similar fraudulent activities of preparing Ayushman Bharat cards, he said.
"Parekh helped these scamsters by providing them a master login ID of Enser Communication, an authorised outsourcing firm for making these cards. Without this ID, it was not possible to alter the source code and verify the beneficiaries using the Aadhaar number. Parekh used to charge Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month from scamsters," the JCP said.
Of the total 3,000 Ayushman cards issued using this fraudulent method, some were meant for patients admitted to Khyati Hospital, he said, adding that an investigation is underway to find out how many of these card holders have submitted their claims to avail of free treatment.
The investigation against the hospital was triggered by complaints from the families of two deceased patients, who were among seven individuals who underwent angioplasty at the hospital on November 11.
Angioplasty is a procedure that widens blocked or narrowed coronary arteries to improve blood flow to the heart.
Patients were falsely registered under the "emergency" category to expedite government approval. In return, the hospital claimed payments from the government, police stated.
On November 12, the city's Vastrapur police registered three FIRs over the death of two PM-JAY beneficiaries due to botched angioplasty.
Police have registered three FIRs, charging the accused with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The FIRs accuse the hospital management and doctors of conspiring to obtain financial benefits under the PM-JAY scheme.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
