ED Attaches ₹55 Lakh Assets in Ayushman Bharat Fraud Case Involving Fake Hospital Claims

Key Facts and Developments

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Guwahati Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable properties worth approximately ₹55.33 lakh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, in connection with a fraud linked to the Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The action pertains to Mobzzil Hussain Barbhuiya, proprietor of Shifa Hospital & Research Centre, Hailakandi, Assam. The investigation was initiated based on an FIR registered by Hailakandi Police Station in November 2022 and a subsequent chargesheet filed in February 2023 for offences under the Indian Penal Code.

According to the ED, the hospital—empanelled under the AB-PMJAY scheme—fraudulently generated 778 reimbursement claims amounting to ₹64.10 lakh between April 2019 and November 2022 without providing any actual medical treatment. Investigations revealed that the hospital was non-existent at its declared address.

The accused allegedly orchestrated a scheme wherein beneficiaries were lured to a makeshift setup, paid nominal amounts, and photographed on hospital beds. These staged images were uploaded on the Transaction Management System portal to raise false claims for medical procedures.

Based on these claims, approximately ₹57.96 lakh was credited to the hospital’s bank account by the State Health Agency. The ED found that the funds were subsequently siphoned off through cash withdrawals and digital transfers.

The agency further identified acquisition of multiple immovable properties and construction of buildings during the period of fraud, without any legitimate source of income.

Accordingly, six immovable properties, including land parcels and part of a multi-storeyed building, have been attached as proceeds of crime. Further investigation is ongoing.