Safdarjung neurosurgeon illegally got Rs 3 cr from patients: CBI chargesheet in cash-for-treatment case

“On March 30, the CBI had arrested Dr Rawat and four of his accomplices — Deepak Khattar, proprietor of Kanishka Surgical in Jangpura, and middlemen Avnesh Patel, Manish Sharma, and Kuldeep Kumar — under bribery and corruption charges. The CBI later summoned two more partners of Khattar and made them accused in their chargesheet,” an official said.

Patel was working for Rawat, while Sharma and Kumar worked for Khattar.

“Post investigation, a charge-sheet of over 5,000 pages was filed by investigation officer Anil Kumar a few days ago at Rouse Avenue court. Probe revealed that Rawat hatched a conspiracy with other accused persons to obtain illegal money from patients in the name of cost of implants,” a source said, citing the chargesheet.

“In the probe, it has also been established that the accused had obtained illegal money of Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore from patients in the last two years. The illegal money was later invested by him in shell companies of his wife,” the source claimed.

During the probe, sources said it was found that Patel and Sharma would sit outside Rawat’s neurology OPD and allegedly target attendants of patients. “They would try to gauge their financial condition and exchange phone numbers. Patel then contacted the attendants after two days and offered them a package deal. As part of this, he asked them to pay to get an early appointment for surgery, agree to procure instruments required for surgery from Kanishka Surgical, and assured a free consultation with the doctor after treatment. After striking a deal, he would ask them to transfer money online via numbers linked to bank accounts of Manish and Kuldeep,” the source said.

Officials said Rawat allegedly got a share in the overbilling by Khattar’s shop. Sources said CBI also received information that Khattar had a diary, in which he allegedly made records of monetary transactions, payments made against inflated invoices and commissions, but they are yet to recover it.

Rawat’s name also cropped up in 2017 in a hit-and-run case in Ghaziabad that left four dead.