Bhubaneswar: Ashwini Hospital, a private facility of the state which treats COVID-19 patients, was duped of almost Rs 45 lakh by a Delhi-based firm on the pretext of selling Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits.
Director of the hospital Subrat Kumar Jena lodged a complaint with Kharavela Nagar police here in this regard.
According to sources, the hospital, which has a standalone coronavirus facility with the capacity of 125 beds in Cuttack, was in urgent need of PPE kits for the medical staff Meanwhile, Ayush Garg and Amrit Mann of Raveera Industries located at plot no. 9/25 East Patel Nagar, New Delhi contacted the complainant introducing themselves to be manufacturer of PPE kits.
The duo also sent a fake laboratory test report of the PPE kits by one Enkay test house of New Delhi through a WhatsApp no. 9873496069 to win doctor Jena’s trust.
On April 4, the accused duo reportedly told the complainant over telephone that around 20,000 PPE kits manufactured as per the Union government specifications were readily available in their factory premises in New Delhi. They would deliver the same upon receipt of full payment for the kits in advance.
Subsequently, Dr Jena deposited Rs 81,90,059 in the bank account of Raveera Industries for 6000 PPE kits April 6. He also booked air cargo of AIR India for the airlifting of the same from factory of the firm in New Delhi. However, the firm failed to deliver the promised kits and told Dr Jena instead that the stock meant for them was taken away forcibly by authorities of the Indian Army. Later, Ravi Kant, the Resident Commissioner of Odisha in New Delhi found out that the firm neither engaged in the manufacturing of PPE kits nor had any stock of the same.
Finding no escape, the firm agreed to return the entire amount. However, it returned only Rs 51,31,200 in four instalments and gave two cheques of Rs 22,72,725 each, including the interest. Both of the cheques bounced.