 "The trust that manages the hospital has claimed that its former trustees siphoned about Rs 1,200 crore in funds. Moneycontrol")
Mumbai’s renowned Lilavati Hospital is embroiled in an embezzlement controversy.
The trust that manages the hospital has claimed that its former trustees siphoned about Rs 1,200 crore in funds.
They have filed a fresh complaint with the Bandra police, alleging embezzlement and black magic at the premises.
Notably, this is the third FIR in the case, whose allegations date back to 2001.
Let’s take a closer look.
The case
The Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust filed an FIR against 17 people, including its seven former trustees and equipment suppliers and vendors, for allegedly embezzling Rs 1,250 crore in the past 20 years, according to The Indian Express.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh, who is currently executive director at Lilavati Hospital, said, “The Lilavati hospital construction was completed in the year 1997 by our late trustee Kishor Mehta and his wife Charu Mehta. But in 2002, onwards, some of their relatives, brothers and nephews took illegal control of the hospital while Kishor Mehta was sick and for the next 20 years, they were in control of the hospital,” Singh said.
Most of the accused trustees are allegedly based in Dubai and Belgium.
He said that the current board of trustees, after taking charge, roped in a forensic auditor, and financial irregularities worth nearly Rs 1,250 crore surfaced.
After this, Lilavati’s Permanent Trustee, Prashant Kishore Mehta, approached the Bandra police, however, they refused to file an FIR.
The 55-year-old then approached a Bandra court and filed a complaint regarding the fraud. The court directed the police to register the case under section 175(3) of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
“The Bandra police registered a case. The case may soon be transferred to the EOW (economic offences wing),” Singh said.
Mehta alleged in the FIR that “the accused, while working as an alleged trustee in the LKMMT, in connivance with other accused companies as well as their directors, by allegedly adopting different methods in the purchases of medical equipment, furniture and pictures, computers, other equipment, medical and legal books, office equipment, electrical equipment, vehicles and ambulances, land and building, surgical consumables, pharmacy, chemist, etc. embezzled funds and committed a fraud.”
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Previous FIRs against former trustees
Well, this isn’t the first time the case has been filed against the former trustees.
Singh says the current case is the third FIR registered.
The first one was lodged in July 2024 with the Bandra police station on charges of cheating and forgery involving Rs 12 crore.
On the Bandra court’s orders, a second FIR was lodged in December of last year against former trustees for allegedly embezzling Rs 44 crore under the guise of lawyer fees. The EOW is conducting the case investigation.
“We have also written to the Enforcement Directorate and requested they take cognisance of the three FIRs, as these are predicate offences, and there was also money laundering and huge properties amassed abroad using proceeds of the crime,” the former police commissioner said.
“We want a fair and impartial investigation. They should be brought to the books and face the investigation,” Singh added.
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Allegations of black magic
Singh claims that a few months ago, some former trust employees indicated that black magic rituals had been performed in the office where Prashant Mehta, the permanent trustee, and his mother, Charu Mehta, sit.
“Eight pots/urns (kalash) filled with human remains, rice, human hair, and other black magic material were found buried when the office floor was dug up,” the former police commissioner said.
“The discovery of these objects gave a very negative vibe to the office,” Mehta added.
The articles were sealed and sent to police as evidence.
Mehta said this was the biggest fraud in the hospital industry and that it had impacted the functioning of the Lilavati Hospital.
“This is a charitable trust, and the money which was siphoned off with mala fide intentions could have been utilised in building up three more such hospitals for the welfare of the society and needy people,” Mehta said.
About Parambir Singh
In March 2021, Singh was relieved of his duties as Mumbai police commissioner and assigned to the home guards following the bombing near the Antilia residence of businessman Mukesh Ambani.
Assistant police inspector Sachin Waze was also detained by the NIA in connection with the case.
In a letter to then-Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Singh claimed that Anil Deshmukh , the home minister at the time, had asked Waze to collect Rs 100 crore per month, which included Rs 40–50 crore from about 1,750 Mumbai bars and restaurants.
Deshmukh was later arrested in the case by the CBI.
Singh then faced numerous extortion FIRs in Thane and Mumbai.
However, the government reversed Singh’s suspension and closed all of these cases against him.
With inputs from agencies