The Hindu : National : Five-year prison term for cardiac surgeon

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Five-year prison term for cardiac surgeon

Special Correspondent

Doctor, two others, found guilty of cheating patients, fabricating records

Surgeon obtained cost of 2 valves but implanted only one
Cheap valves supplied, fake bills issued

NEW DELHI: A special CBI court in Chandigarh on Tuesday handed down a five-year prison term to a top cardiac surgeon of the PG Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, in a cheating and forgery case and imposed a fine of Rs.1.40 lakh on him.

The CBI registered a case in 2003 against Dr. R.S. Dhaliwal, Professor and Head of the Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Surinder Singh Uppal, proprietor of allegedly fake firms, and Satpal Singla , proprietor of M/s. Paul Medical Hall, Chandigarh.

Exorbitant rates

Mr. Singla was ordered to undergo two years rigorous imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs. 50,000.

Dr. Dhaliwal and the others were found guilty of hatching a criminal conspiracy and cheating patients and their wards by charging exorbitant rates for fixing artificial heart valves. They also forged and fabricated the records.

Supervised by Joint Director Navneet R. Wasan, the CBI investigation revealed that Dr. Dhaliwal used to refer the patients or their wards to S.S. Uppal, who used to collect either cash or bank draft in favour of his non-existent firms, namely M/s High Teen Surgical Company, M/s Healthcare Instruments, and M/s Alpha Surgical Company. He used to supply cheap valves and share the money with Dr. Dhaliwal and also issued fake bills to justify the amount received from the patients and their wards. The investigation specified 24 instances in which Dr. Dhaliwal had received money from Mr. Uppal out of the amount collected from the patients.

Alterations

In certain instances, the surgeon obtained the cost of two valves but implanted only one. He also forged records by making additions and alterations.

The CBI investigation further established that Dr. Dhaliwal used to send requisitions for costlier brand of valves but implanted cheaper brands supplied by Mr. Singla.

Mr. Singla used to issue fake bills mentioning the sale of costlier valves against the actual supply of cheaper valves.

More than 125 witnesses were examined and the voluminous records of the PGIMER and the private firms were scrutinised during the investigation. The CBI filed two charge sheets in February 2006.

The special court convicted both Dr. Dhaliwal and Mr. Singla for the offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, use of forged documents and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The Court granted pardon to Mr. Uppal as he admitted his guilt and confessed to the crime committed by him.

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