Dr. Shaileshkumar Amrutlal Anand, the former General Manager of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana-Mukhyamantri Amrutam (PMJAY-MA) scheme in Gujarat, was arrested on December 26 by the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) in Ahmedabad. Dr. Anand, along with Nikhil Ghanshyam Parekh and Milap Ramesh Patel, is accused of conspiring to approve PMJAY cards for ineligible individuals, along with charges of forgery and criminal breach of trust.
Dr. Anand’s arrest comes after a racket was uncovered at Khyati Multispeciality Hospital in Ahmedabad, where fraudulent PMJAY beneficiary cards were being issued. Just two days after the scam was exposed, Dr. Anand was transferred from his position at the Gujarat Health Department headquarters in Gandhinagar to a much less prestigious role at a village health center, amid suspicions of his involvement.
The Crime Branch’s investigation revealed that the accused had exploited vulnerabilities in the PMJAY website, altering the source code to issue illegal beneficiary cards. Dr. Anand, with his Level-1 access, allegedly approved KYC requests for beneficiaries who did not meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria. His involvement was further revealed through interrogation of other suspects, including hospital officials and former employees of Enser Communication Private Limited.
The Crime Branch is continuing its investigation, with estimates suggesting that 1,200-1,500 fraudulent cards may have been issued, though this number could rise as the investigation continues into how many individuals had unauthorized access to Level-1 approvals.