After an FIR on 6 June against Naresh Trehan, the chairman and promoter of Medanta Medicity Hospital on allegations of money laundering, Enforcement Directorate (ED) also booked Trehan for the same on Wednesday, 10 June.
ED has registered Enforcement Case Information Report against him and 15 others under PMLA in connection with allotment of land for Medanta Hospital, ANI reported.
The matter was first taken to court by Gurugram-based RTI activist Raman Sharma.
Reacting to ED's charges, Dr Naresh Trehan said, "This is the same case which is handed over to ED Delhi by Gurugram Police. Complainant Raman Sharma is a known extortionist. The complaint is nothing but harassment by him, who has chosen to file this complaint while we are in midst of a global pandemic," ANI reported.
Earlier, Medanta Medicity Hospital, issued a statement over the allegations of money laundering and corruption stating,
“We are shocked to see the allegations against Medanta Hospital and its Chairman, by an individual who has managed to get news space with irresponsible and frivolous accusations, without any scrutiny of his claims.”
Sadar SP Aman Yadav had confirmed that the FIR was lodged, following directions of Additional Sessions Judge Ashwani Kumar, under IPC sections related to criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and forgery, sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. He added that the investigation will be conducted accordingly.
‘Baseless, Motivated,’ Says Medanta
Talking about the RTI activist, Medanta’s chief Dr Trehan in the statement said, “The allegations are absurd, and in fact, what has been overlooked is that Raman Sharma had previously filed two cases, identical to this one, in Delhi, one in Patiala House Court and one in the Delhi High Court.”
He added, “Both these cases were dismissed, and the judge rejected his allegations as "vague, unspecific and not even a single incident with sufficient detail has been mentioned in the entire complaint."
“We are in the midst of a global pandemic. Many of our doctors, including our Chairman, despite being over 65 years of age, continue to tend to their patients selflessly... We are pained that in the midst of the courage they demonstrate every day, they are forced to address completely malicious and false allegations,” Medanta continued.
The FIR has been filed against 52 others. It includes Sunil Sachdeva, Atul Yadav, Anant Jain, Global Health Private Limited and Global Ifracom Private Limited.
In this regard, RTI activist Raman Sharma filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Ashwani Kumar three days ago. After this, the judge on Saturday directed the Gurugram police to file an FIR within 24 hours.
Sharma filed a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in June 2019, after which the case was referred to the Haryana Police for investigation. Sharma said, Gurugram police did not take action on the complaint forwarded by the ED. Therefore, he went to court.
Allegations of Misusing Funds
Filing the complaint, Sharma alleged that Medanta Hospital had a project to develop a medical college, research center, nursing staff quarters, guest houses and many other facilities for the patients and their tenants (family members), but its promoter only developed the hospital. Apart from this, he alleged that the funds were misused in other projects in other states.
Sharma alleged that when people were removed from their ancestral land in Sector 38 in 2004, the Haryana government had advertised for a ‘Medicity Project’, envisaged as “having super specialty hospital of international standard, academic medical institutions… to provide state-of-the-art medical facilities at one place along with ancillary… facilities in the form of shopping mall, yatri niwas etc.”
However, Medanta noted, “Extortionists have found a fertile breeding ground, while claiming to be RTI activists. The fact that the allegations in his complaint pertain to the 16-year-old land allotment on which the hospital is built demonstrates this.”
“I requested the court to register an FIR against 52 individuals and companies who are involved in the construction of the hospital and have taken a grant of Rs 1,000 crore. Apart from this, the Chief Administrator of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HSVP), its Gurugram Administrator and Estate Officer have also been asked to submit their report before the court,” he stated.
(With inputs from IANS & ANI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)