Daijiworld Media Network - Thane (SR)

Thane, Aug 27: The Mumbai crime branch arrested a Thane based doctor and his female partner for allegedly swindling money from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund which provides medical treatment to the underprivileged.

Crime branch officials said Dr Anil Nagrale and his partner, Arthi Sigwan who claimed to have contacts in Mantralaya, had submitted fake medical papers of fictitious patients at Sharda Hospital in Thane and claimed around Rs 75 lac in the last three years. Mumbai police commissioner, Sanjay Barve said, "A high-level probe is underway and those involved in the racket will not be spared."

Though the main aim of Chief Minister's Relief Fund is to provide immediate relief to people in distress (providing financial assistance to people affected by major natural calamities like flood, drought and fire accident), CM Fadnavis set up a special initiative called the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Cell to help economically weaker citizens with funds for treatment of major diseases. The funds are disbursed to patients or through tie-ups with hospitals and trusts.

As reported in TOI, the scam came to light when the assistant director of the health department called up Sharda Hospital to enquire about two patients admitted there who had sought financial aid under CM's Relief Fund. "Dr Bhavika Patel of the hospital told the official that no such patients were admitted in the hospital. Subsequently, the Mantralaya ordered a probe into the cases referred by Dr Nagarale for financial aid. "On scrutiny of the documents of patients referred by Nagarale for finacial aid, major discrepancies were found.

Dr Nagarale and Arthi were arrested and booked under the relevant Indian Penal Code sections for cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy. They were later produced in a local court, which remanded them to police custody till August 31.