Daijiworld Media Network – Ranchi

Ranchi, Apr 4: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out massive raids at 21 locations across Jharkhand and other states in connection with the alleged Ayushman Bharat scam, unearthing cash worth Rs 20 lac and a cache of incriminating documents related to money laundering and dubious investments.

The cash was primarily seized from the residence of Om Prakash, personal secretary to former Jharkhand health minister Banna Gupta. Several other key officials linked to the Jharkhand State Arogya Society (JHSAS), including Additional executive director Abhishek Srivastava and Senior Consultant Vaibhav Rai, are also under the scanner.

The raids, which began at 7 am, spanned 17 locations across Jharkhand including Ranchi, Jamshedpur, and Bokaro and extended to sites in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. The ED is also investigating third-party administrators like MD India Health Insurance, Safeway, and Medi Assist.

The crackdown follows damning findings in a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, which flagged large-scale fraud under the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Jharkhand. The report alleged that ghost patients were used to siphon off government funds, with some bills being generated in the names of deceased individuals.

Following the CAG’s revelations, the ED sought details from the State Health Department and Jharkhand State Health Society, which confirmed FIRs against multiple hospitals. Based on the findings, the ED registered an ECIR and launched its probe.

With over 750 hospitals under the scheme in Jharkhand alone, the ED believes the scam runs into several crores. Further arrests and revelations are expected as the investigation progresses.