Guwahati, June 18: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against 10 individuals, including two ONGC officials and eight private medical shop owners in Jorhat, for allegedly orchestrating a medical billing scam amounting to Rs 45 lakh. The case was filed on June 17, following allegations of fraudulent claims submitted between 2019 and 2022.
According to the CBI, the accused public servants—Dr Bijoy Kumar Shaw, then Deputy General Manager (Medical Services) at ONGC Jorhat, and Dr Eashitva Tamuli, a contractual medical officer—entered into a criminal conspiracy with the proprietors of eight empanelled medical shops. They allegedly submitted false bills based on forged requisition slips for medicines that were never issued to ONGC beneficiaries or their dependents.
The eight medical shop owners arrested are Bhanwari Lal Lakhotia of Lakhotia Medical Hall, Satadal Ghosh of North East Medical, Khirud Saikia of Jay Sankar Medical, Minakshi Baruah of Minakshi Drugs, Shankar Goswami of New Sanjivani Medical, and Ritu Barpatra Gohain of Nishita Medical. Two additional individuals involved in the operation have also been taken into custody.
Searches were conducted at the residences of all the accused, which led to the recovery of incriminating documents. The CBI has stated that the investigation is ongoing and further arrests or revelations are likely as evidence is examined.
