Mumbai, Aug 21 A court here on Friday denied anticipatory bail to an official of a Nashik-based private hospital in a case of alleged siphoning of subsidies provided under government health insurance schemes such as Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
Additional Sessions Judge Anil D Salunkhe stated that custodial interrogation of accused Pritam Pachpute was "essential given the seriousness of the allegations and the misappropriation of public funds".
The state government provides financial assistance to underprivileged patients through empanelled hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.
As per the complaint, Rishikesh Hospital in Nashik and two other hospitals allegedly submitted bogus treatment records of Rs 1.79 crore.
Rishikesh Hospital uploaded fraudulent records for 72 cases, including seven cases where the patients were already dead, and got Rs 45,45,750 in state subsidies, according to police.
Pachpute, an official signatory of the hospital, is facing a case of cheating and forgery.
Her counsel submitted that she was six weeks pregnant. The probe relies entirely on documentary evidence, and her questioning was not needed, he said.
She was merely an authorized signatory with a minor partnership share of one to two percent, and had acted without criminal intent, the lawyer said.
Opposing the plea, additional public prosecutor Ashwini Rayakar argued that the accused uploaded the fabricated documents to deceive the government.
The court noted that the applicant held a partnership in the hospital's day-to-day business and had failed to respond to prior show-cause notices.
Rejecting the plea, the judge ruled that considering her role in submitting forged records to extract public money, she is not entitled to anticipatory relief.
