The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a series of raids on Friday morning at 21 locations across four states, including several key areas in Jharkhand’s capital, Ranchi, in connection with alleged irregularities in the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Of the total locations being searched, 17 are in Jharkhand, while the remaining include two in West Bengal and one each in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. In Ranchi, the ED teams are conducting searches in Ashok Nagar, PP Compound, Edalhatu, Bariatu, Lalpur, and Chiraundi.
These coordinated raids follow revelations made in a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), which was recently tabled in Parliament, highlighting serious irregularities in the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Jharkhand. Among the findings, the CAG noted that benefits under the scheme were allegedly extended to deceased individuals, among other fraudulent practices.
Following the report, the ED sought details from the Jharkhand Health Department and the State Health Society regarding any action taken against entities involved in the scam. In its response, the Health Department provided information on FIRs registered against several hospitals implicated in the case.
Subsequently, the ED formally registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and initiated a detailed investigation.
Based on the evidence gathered during the probe, the agency has now begun executing search operations at the premises of individuals and institutions suspected of being involved in the scam.
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