Ahmedabad Crime Branch Arrests Health Department Employee in PM-JAY Fraud

Ahmedabad : The Ahmedabad Crime Branch police have arrested a health department employee from Gandhinagar. The arrest is linked to the PM-JAY scheme fraud involving the controversial Khyati Hospital in Ahmedabad.

This case involves a scam where fake surgeries were performed under the PMJAY scheme. It was also revealed that Ayushman cards were issued to people illegally through Khyati Hospital.

Health Department employees in Gandhinagar were already under suspicion. Finally, the Crime Branch arrested Milap Patel, a contract worker in the department, late Thursday night. Two other employees are being questioned and may also face arrest soon.

Deputy Commissioner of the Ahmedabad Crime Branch, Ajit Rajiyan, confirmed the arrest. He stated that the department had been monitoring some employees for a while. Evidence against Milap Patel led to his arrest.

Role of the Accused

According to sources, Milap Patel has been working on a contract basis with the health department since 2017. His job was to approve Ayushman cards. During the investigation, it was found that he approved fake cards worth lakhs of rupees. Patel reportedly received a commission for each fake card he processed.

The government has suffered losses amounting to crores due to the illegal issuance of Ayushman cards. Police suspect that contract workers carried out most of the scam. However, permanent employees may also have been involved. Investigations are ongoing to determine their role.

Earlier Arrests in the Scam

The Khyati Hospital scandal came to light 10 days ago. It exposed a gang that created fake Ayushman cards to defraud the government. This gang worked under the guidance of Kartik Patel and Chirag Rajput.

The gang made fake PMJAY cards for just ₹1,500 each, enabling patients to claim expensive treatments. The accused tampered with the government portal to carry out the scam.

Ten people were initially arrested in the case, including:

Kartik Patel (Ahmedabad)

Chirag Rajput (Ahmedabad)

Nimesh Dodia (Ahmedabad)

Mohammad Fazal Sheikh (Ahmedabad)

Mohammad Ashfaq Sheikh (Ahmedabad)

Narendrasinh Gohil (Bhavnagar)

Imtiaz (Bhavnagar)

Rashid (Bihar)

Imran Jabir Hussain Karigar (Surat)

Nikhil Parekh (Ahmedabad)

How the Scam Worked

The scammers issued 150 fake cards, targeting well-known hospitals where camps were held. These cards were issued to people without PM-JAY or Ayushman cards, allowing them to get treatments worth lakhs of rupees.

In another part of the scam, six people were arrested for altering personal data. They edited records to create fake Ayushman and government scheme cards. The accused earned ₹40,000 to ₹50,000 per month through these illegal activities.

Milap Patel’s arrest has added a new dimension to the case. He was linked to the gang involved in issuing fake Ayushman cards. Crime Branch officials believe that the number of wrongly approved cards could be much higher than initially thought.

Investigations are still underway. The focus is now on uncovering the role of permanent employees in the scam and identifying any other individuals involved.