Three arrested in Chandigarh Ayushman fraud case

Chandigarh: A staff member of PGIMER has been arrested for his involvement in a fraud linked to the Ayushman Bharat scheme. This marks the third arrest in the ongoing investigation. The arrested individual, Kapil, works as a data entry operator at the Himcare counter in Nehru Hospital. He is the first insider from PGIMER to be taken into custody. His arrest follows the capture of another suspect, Balram, who was caught trying to fraudulently acquire medications and supplies. Authorities launched the investigation after Raman, a 25-year-old from Kangra, was apprehended on February 18. Raman attempted to steal ₹ 60,000 worth of medicines using fake documents. Police recovered counterfeit stamps and an indent book from the urology department during the arrest. Officials believe that the stolen medicines were sold to private pharmacies. Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, eligible families can access free treatment and medications. However, for medicines over ₹ 2,000, patients must provide a doctor's prescription and have it verified with official stamps. So far, the fraud linked to this case has amounted to ₹ 5 crore, according to investigators. The police are continuing to look into the details surrounding the scheme's manipulation.