Premium

PMJAY beneficiaries deaths case: Cardiologist Dr Prashant Vazirani arrested for performing ‘unnecessary’ angioplasty

The other accused include Hospital Chairman Kartik Jashu Patel who is currently in Australia according to police, while the CEO and two directors were ‘not found at their homes’

The FIRs allege that the angioplasty surgeries were carried out to “falsely claim financial gains from the PMJAY-MA scheme”

The Ahmedabad City Police late on Wednesday night arrested Dr Prashant Vazirani, the “visiting” cardiologist who performed angioplasty surgeries on seven patients from Borisana village of Mehsana, allegedly without either their families’ consent or a cause.

Dr Vazirani is one of five persons accused in three FIRs filed in the case where the owners and doctor of Khyati Multispeciality Hospital were booked for culpable homicide, attempted culpable homicide, forgery, cheating, and criminal conspiracy for allegedly performing unnecessary angioplasty surgeries on two patients – Mahesh Girdhar Barot (52) and Nagar Moti Senma (75) – who later died due to alleged negligence in post-operative care.

Vastrapur PI LL Chavda said they will seek the remand of Vazirani from court on Thursday evening.

Story continues below this ad

The other accused are Hospital Chairman Kartik Jashu Patel, CEO Chirag Hirasingh Rajput, Directors Rajshri Pradeep Kothari, and Dr Sanjay Mulji (who is also a bariatric surgeon).

Ahmedabad Zone-1 DCP Himanshu Kumar Verma told The Indian Express, “We arrested Dr Prashant Vazirani shortly after filing the FIR. We are currently searching for the whereabouts of the other accused, none of whom were found at their homes.”

Don't miss | PMJAY beneficiaries deaths case: HC should take suo motu note of the matter, says lawyers’ body

The FIRs, one filed on behalf of the Gujarat government at Vastrapur police station in Ahmedabad and two filed at Kadi police station in Mehsana by the families of both deceased, allege that the angioplasty surgeries were carried out to “falsely claim financial gains from the PMJAY-MA (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Mukhyamantri Amrutam) scheme”, of which the deceased were beneficiaries.

Police said that Patel is currently in Australia, while Rajput, who was the only face of the hospital administration on Tuesday and Wednesday, “disappeared” the evening after Dhananjay Dwivedi, the principal secretary of health, announced that the hospital owners would be booked for culpable homicide among other charges.

Story continues below this ad

Kothari and Patolia were also not found by police at their homes late on Wednesday night.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram