Surat : The Economic Offence Cell of Surat has arrested three person including a doctor for defrauding 12 doctors to the tune of Rs. 5.24 crores in an ambulance business scam. The victim doctors were promised 50% of the profit in non-existing ambulance business by Dr. Hardik Patwa, the primary accused in the scam. It is being alleged that Dr.Hardik Patwa of the municipally managed SMIMER Hospital, along with two accomplices, had fraudulently persuaded 13 individuals, including 12 doctors, to invest in the ambulance business with promises of 50% profit, resulting in a ₹5.24 crore scam. Dr. Kapil Arvind Shahan, a 37-year-old tutor in the Biochemistry Department at SMIMER Hospital, lodged a complaint with the Crime Branch. Based on his complaint, the police have filed a case against Dr. Hardik Ramesh Patwa, his associates Hemant Dahya Parmar, and Mayur Valmiki Goswami. The ECO Cell has now successfully arrested the primary suspect, Dr. Hardik Patwa, in connection with this fraud.
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In 2021, Dr. Hardik Patwa launched an ambulance business in partnership under the names Sunshine and Young’s Ambulance Services. At that time, Dr. Patwa proposed to Dr. Kapil Shahan to invest in this ambulance business, promising a 50% profit. Subsequently, Dr. Patwa also discussed the need for 12 ambulances with a Maharashtra-based company, mentioning a tender requirement. Dr. Hardik Patwa made an enticing offer to doctors, promising a 50% profit on investments in the ambulance business, while retaining the remaining 50% for himself. He lured doctors by claiming that transporting patients between states could yield ₹1 lakh per trip, creating a false sense of high earnings. As a result, 13 individuals, including 12 doctors and one doctor’s wife, were deceived, leading to a total scam of ₹5.24 crores.