In a shocking incident, a total of ₹9.87 lakh was fraudulently withdrawn from the bank account of the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) department by creating fake cheques and forging signatures. The Azad Maidan Police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations based on the complaint filed by Dr. Bhalchandra Chikhalkar (57), the medical superintendent of Gokuldas Tejpal (GT) Hospital.
According to the information provided by the Azad Maidan Police, Dr. Chikhalkar stated in his complaint that he heads the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) department, which is run by the state government. Under this scheme, free treatment is provided to patients below the poverty line. The hospital has opened an account in the name of the superintendent at the Union Bank of India's branch located at Bazargate, Fort. The approved claim amount by the government is deposited into this account and is utilized for the treatment of patients as well as for the salaries of the employees and the purchase of surgical equipment.
Kishor Golipkar, who is responsible for data entry in this department, noticed irregularities in the department's accounts between December 2023 and February 2024.
Between December 21, 2023, and February 2, 2024, a total of ₹9.87 lakh was deposited into various accounts under the names Nihal, Vinod Yadav, Anjum Tara, Varun Yadav, Shashank Kumar, and Rohit Raj through ten cheques. None of these individuals were associated with the hospital. Additionally, the hospital administration obtained copies of the cheques from the bank and examined them.
Upon comparing the signatures on the ten cheques used to withdraw money from the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana department's account with Dr. Chikhalkar's actual signature, it was found that the signatures were forged. Furthermore, there were discrepancies between the information on the original cheques and the fake cheques. It has been revealed that the amount was withdrawn by creating fake cheques and forging signatures.
An official from the Azad Maidan Police Station stated that an FIR has been registered, and further investigation is underway.