Ranchi, 4 April

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted multi-state searches, including at the premises of the private secretary of former Jharkhand health minister Banna Gupta, as part of a money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Centre's Ayushman Bharat scheme, official sources said.

The officials of the federal probe agency raided 21 locations in Jharkhand, Delhi, and West Bengal under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said.

Premises linked to Om Prakash Singh, Gupta, apart from that of 'key suspects,' including consultants and former executives of associated firms, were raided early morning. A security team of central paramilitary personnel accompanied the officials of the federal probe agency.

Locations of officials linked to the Jharkhand State Arogya Society (JSAS), employees, and offices of Third-Party Administrators (TPAs) like MD India, Safeway, Medi Assist, and their associates were also raided, they said.

There was no immediate response to the ED action by Gupta or his PS.

ED teams raided a house in Mango locality and a nursing home along NH-33 in Jamshedpur city, apart from locations in Ashok Nagar and Bariyatu in the state capital, Ranchi.

In Kolkata, the offices of some 'entry operators' or hawala dealers are being raided, the sources said.

The ED, agency sources said, suspects that 'proceeds of crime' were generated through systematic 'fraud' within the Ayushman Bharat scheme through 'manipulation' of hospital empanelment and processing of 'fake' claims facilitated by a 'nexus' demanding commissions and kickbacks.

Ayushman Bharat is a flagship scheme of the Union government that aims to achieve universal health coverage for citizens.