CHANDIGARH – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has uncovered a sophisticated, large-scale medical reimbursement scam targeting the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). Following a detailed Joint Surprise Check (JSC), the agency registered a Regular Case (RC) on March 30, 2026, against several doctors, bill clerks, and private hospitals for allegedly defrauding the government through forged records and inflated claims.
The Accused and the Conspiracy
The FIR names Dr. Vikas Sharma and Dr. Rimple Gupta, both Directors of M/s Manthan Health Care in Sector-38, Chandigarh, as key players in the conspiracy. Also booked are Dharam Hospital Pvt. Ltd. (Sector-15), Kare Partner Heart Centre (Sector-19), and their respective bill clerks, Parveen Kumar and Manjeet Singh. The investigation also points toward the involvement of unknown ECHS officials from various polyclinics and regional centers.
The suspects are accused of criminal conspiracy, cheating, and criminal misconduct under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Systematic Fraud: The Modus Operandi
According to CBI investigators, the syndicate devised a systematic mechanism to siphon public funds by misusing emergency admission provisions. Non-empanelled entities, specifically M/s Manthan Health Care, were found to be illegally operating the ECHS desks of empanelled hospitals like Dharam Hospital.
During the Joint Surprise Check conducted on February 24, 2026, the CBI recovered incriminating evidence, including:
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- Unauthorized Materials: Blank letterheads, official stamps, and digital signature credentials of empanelled hospitals were found at the non-empanelled Manthan Health Care premises.
- Forged Documentation: Medical records, prescriptions, and discharge summaries purportedly signed by doctors like Dr. Ajay Kumar Aggarwal were found to be forged.
- Fabricated Diagnostics: Pathology reports in the names of external laboratories were found to be fake, with the concerned labs denying they ever issued them.
Orchestrated Admissions and Revenue Sharing
Scrutiny of patient records revealed a pattern of “abnormal admissions”. ECHS beneficiaries were systematically routed through intermediaries to specific private hospitals for “emergencies” that lacked clinical justification.
The CBI highlighted cases of patients—including Hema Devi, Baldeo Ram, Tek Chand, and Sandhya Devi—who were repeatedly admitted to a cluster of hospitals for similar ailments within short intervals solely to generate claims.
Retrieved WhatsApp chats provided direct evidence of coordination regarding admission and discharge timings, as well as the post-facto preparation of medical reports.
Furthermore, the agency discovered a structured financial arrangement, including an unsigned 50-50 revenue-sharing model between Manthan Health Care and Dharam Hospital.
Widening the Net
The CBI has entrusted the investigation to Inspector Pawan Kumar. While the current FIR focuses on the primary suspects, the agency has stated it will also investigate the roles of several other medical facilities, including Amar Hospital, Shalby Hospital, 1H Plus Med Park in Mohali, and Eden Critical Care in Chandigarh.
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The FIR was authorized and signed by Dr. Navdeep Singh Brar (IPS), DIG and Head of Branch, CBI, Chandigarh.
