Guwahati, March 31: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has temporarily seized assets valued at approximately ₹29.77 lakhs under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002. This action is part of a large-scale investigation into fraud related to the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in Assam.
The ED’s investigation was initiated based on an FIR filed at the Algapur police station in Hailakandi. It follows a charge sheet against Dr. Nozmul Islam Chowdhury, owner of the Noble Hospital and Research Center, for committing offenses under Sections 420 (cheating) and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. These offenses fall under Part A of the schedule of the PMLA, 2002.
The investigation revealed that the Noble Hospital and Research Center was included in the panel of hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana through the Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society. Between February 22, 2019, and November 5, 2022, the hospital fraudulently submitted 920 false reimbursement claims without providing any genuine medical treatment to beneficiaries, amounting to around ₹77.83 lakhs.
The hospital allegedly lured Ayushman Bharat cardholders by taking their photos while they were lying on hospital beds. They falsely portrayed these individuals as admitted patients and uploaded fake treatment records to the transaction management system portal. By creating and submitting reimbursement claims for these fictitious treatments, the hospital systematically exploited the scheme.
The Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society transferred approximately ₹69.42 lakhs (after TDS deductions) to the hospital’s bank account at Canara Bank, Hailakandi. The investigation traced the money trail, revealing that the illicit earnings were quickly withdrawn as cash from ATMs. These funds were then transferred to the accused’s personal bank account at Axis Bank. Systematic withdrawals and laundering occurred through UPI transactions involving various individuals, including the accused’s brother.
The fraud by Noble Hospital and Research Center was uncovered following a beneficiary audit conducted by a team from the Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society. It was found that most payment claims submitted by the hospital were false and fabricated. Beneficiaries who were claimed as indoor patients had only visited the hospital as outpatients and were never admitted. Consequently, the hospital was de-empaneled from the AB-PMJAY scheme through an order on November 21, 2022, and an FIR was lodged. The hospital was shut down in 2023.
The investigation has revealed that the fraudulently obtained money was rapidly spent, leading to the closure of the hospital’s bank accounts. Due to the absence of tangible criminal proceeds, the ED has seized properties valued as proceeds of crime under Section 2(1)(u) of the PMLA, 2002. Further investigations are ongoing.
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