The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth approximately Rs 55.33 lakh belonging to a hospital owner in Hailakandi, Assam, in connection with an alleged fraud under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY).
The action was taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Mobzzil Hussain Barbhuiya, proprietor of Shifa Hospital & Research Centre.
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The case traces back to a police complaint filed in November 2022, followed by a chargesheet in February 2023.
Investigators found that the hospital, though empanelled under the government health scheme, allegedly submitted hundreds of fake reimbursement claims for medical services that were never actually provided. A total of 778 fraudulent claims worth over Rs 64 lakh were reportedly generated between April 2019 and November 2022.
Authorities also found that the hospital did not exist at its declared address.
According to officials, beneficiaries holding Ayushman Bharat cards were brought to a temporary setup, where they were photographed lying on hospital beds in exchange for a small cash payment.
Those images were then uploaded to the scheme's system to falsely claim reimbursements for treatments that had never taken place.
Nearly Rs 58 lakh was reportedly credited to the hospital's bank account by the state health agency. Investigators allege the funds — identified as proceeds of crime — were subsequently withdrawn in cash and routed through digital transactions to conceal their origin.
The ED found that the accused used the illicit money to purchase multiple land parcels and construct buildings, despite having no legitimate income to account for those assets.
The provisionally attached properties include several plots of land and a portion of a multi-storey building.
Officials confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.