Chandigarh – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against several doctors and private hospitals in the Chandigarh-Tricity region for a massive, multi-crore fraud targeting the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). The agency alleges that between 2018 and 2026, the accused siphoned off government funds by submitting fabricated medical bills and forged patient records.
Following a Joint Surprise Check (JSC) on February 24, 2024, and subsequent raids on April 3, 2026, the CBI unearthed a sophisticated racket involving the manipulation of healthcare reimbursements.
- Key Accused & Entities: The FIR specifically names
Dr. Vikas Sharma and Dr. Rimple Gupta , directors of Manthan Health Care (Sector 38, Chandigarh). While Manthan was not empanelled under ECHS, it allegedly operated the ECHS desk for Dharam Hospital (Sector 15, Chandigarh).
Other institutions under the scanner include Kare Partner Heart Centre, Shalby Hospital, Amar Hospital , and Eden Critical Care Hospital
.
- The Modus Operandi:
- Fabricated Records: The accused allegedly forged doctors’ signatures and diagnostic reports; some laboratories denied even issuing the tests.
- Fake Admissions: “Orchestrated” hospitalisations showed ordinary patients as being in the ICU or on ventilators to secure higher reimbursements.
- Double Billing: Records showed the same patient admitted to multiple hospitals simultaneously or repeatedly for the same ailment within short intervals.
- Collusion: Investigators recovered WhatsApp chats showing prior coordination on admission/discharge timings and the “post-facto” fabrication of medical records to fit reimbursement requirements.
- Financial Impact: The fraud is estimated to involve crores of rupees, with evidence of a 50:50 revenue-sharing model between intermediaries and empanelled hospitals.
