Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Mar 14: The Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMMT), which runs Mumbai's renowned Lilavati Hospital, has alleged that over Rs 1,500 cr was misappropriated by former trustees and associated individuals. The trust has filed multiple complaints with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Bandra Police, leading to the registration of three FIRs. A fourth complaint, involving allegations of black magic rituals within the hospital premises, is also under investigation.
Speaking to reporters, LKMMT permanent resident trustee Prashant Mehta said that a forensic audit exposed large-scale financial irregularities. “The gross misconduct and fund misappropriation not only betray the trust placed in these former trustees but also threaten our hospital’s core mission. We urge the ED to take swift action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” Mehta stated.
The trust appointed forensic auditors, including Chetan Dalal Investigation and Management Services (CDIMS) and ADB and Associates, who uncovered financial fraud, fund siphoning, and document manipulation by the previous management. Mehta alleged that over Rs 1,500 cr had been diverted, with many of the accused being NRIs based in Dubai and Belgium.
Among the FIRs, one case alleges Rs 1,200 cr was misappropriated through illegal transactions with third-party distributors supplying medical equipment. Another complaint in Gujarat pertains to the theft of valuables from a Lilavati Hospital facility in the state.
Additionally, an investigation by Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has been launched into an Rs 85 cr fraud case against three former trustees. The accused allegedly used fake documents to seize control of the trust between 2002 and 2023, unlawfully diverting funds for personal legal expenses under the guise of hospital procurements.
In a shocking claim, Mehta also accused the former trustees of performing black magic rituals inside the hospital. “We discovered more than seven urns containing human hair and skulls,” he said, adding that a magistrate’s court has ordered an inquiry into these allegations.
The EOW is now probing the financial fraud cases, while further legal action is expected based on the forensic audit’s findings.