Inlaks hospital caught in `loan’ tangle

The 100-bed hospital is now caught in a litigation with the donors viz. the VES (Rs 20 lakh) and Vasudev Valecha (Rs 9 lakh) of Valecha Engineering Ltd. J Wadhwani, president, VES, said Valecha Engg. had advanced loans in Nov. 1994, two loans in Dec. 1994, and two in Jan. 1995, all totalling Rs 10 lakh. All these amounts were acknowledged and returned by the Hospital by March 1995. However, an amount of Rs 9 lakh from Valecha and Rs 20 lakh from the VES, are now in dispute, with the hospital claiming it was a donation.

Wadhwani alleged that the trustees of the Rashtriya Seva Samiti (RSS), the trust which runs the hospital, did not forward the resolution drafted by Advani to be placed before the Charity Commissioner, for seeking permission to collect the loans.

The Samiti, on the other hand, stated in its submission before the Charity Commissioner that neither the VES, which is also a trust, nor Valecha Engg. can conduct money-lending activities, and so the amounts are not loans but donations. While the Samiti has been denying that the amount was taken as a loan, Valecha Engg. has a bank payment voucher for Rs nine lakh, signed by one Hingorani, who as office superintendent of the Samiti, managed the accounts in 1995. The note bearing his signature says: “For temp (temporary) loan, for Rashtriya Seva Samiti, for Inlaks General hospital.” Last month, the Samiti complained to the Chembur police station that the words `for temporary loan’ are an interpolation. The VES has also filed a complaint against S S Gajja, chartered accountant for the Samiti, alleging professional misconduct. It has alleged that the amount of Rs 20 lakh has been shown as a donation in the accounts of the Samiti for 1994-95. The CA’s report does not record any objection (if the amount is considered as a donation), when the amount has been received without a written contract and without issuing a receipt.