Ranchi: In connection with the Ayushman Bharat scheme scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting raids on 21 locations, including the residences of former Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta’s PS Ompra Singh and Third Party Assessors (TPA), along with other individuals involved in the case.
The ED team started the raids early on Friday morning in several areas of Ranchi, such as Ashok Nagar, PP Compound, Adalhatu, Bariyatu, Lalpur, and Chiraudi. As per the latest information, the raids are ongoing at a total of 21 locations, including 17 in Jharkhand, two in West Bengal, and one each in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme scam came to light following the presentation of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in Parliament. Based on this, the ED registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and initiated an investigation.
The CAG’s report highlighted several irregularities in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Jharkhand, including instances of treatment provided to deceased individuals, among other discrepancies.
In response to the CAG report presented in Parliament, the ED sought information from the Health Department and Jharkhand State Health Society regarding any actions taken against those involved in the irregularities in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
The Health Department subsequently provided the ED with details of FIRs filed against some hospitals involved in the scam. Based on these FIRs, the ED registered a case and began investigating the Ayushman scam in Jharkhand. This marks the first ED raid of 2025 in the ongoing investigation.