More than just vaccine scammers: Hospital was destroying proof, say Mumbai residents

A social worker from Charkop claimed that Shivam Hospital does not have a fire NOC

Investigation into the vaccination scam has so far revealed that the scamsters mixed leftover Covishield vaccine with saline. This was used to vaccinate over 2,000 people across nine locations in the city. In addition, a local social worker has claimed that Shivam Hospital, owned by Dr Shivraj Pataria, 61, and his wife Nita Pataria, 60, does not have an Occupancy Certificate. The hospital was served a notice by MHADA in 2019. The agency had also asked Charkop police to seal the premises.

On Friday, the Patarias and five other accused were remanded to police custody till June 28. mid-day also learnt from society members residing above the hospital that the Patarias forced them to sell their flats to the hospital. So far, 10 people have been arrested in the scam.

A resident of Shrenik Society, where Shivam Hospital is located, said, "The couple has tried to make us sell our flats to them many times and has also threatened us. The society has only three flats left that are not owned by the hospital. All the flats the Patarias purchased have been merged with the hospital. The doctors and staff cut our drainage line and harass us so we would sell our flats. The chairman, secretary and treasurer of the society are also doctors and their kin. The hospital once ran a water bill of Rs 39,000 which we society members had to foot."

Society members further claimed, "Around 15 days ago, the hospital staff appeared to be destroying some evidence on the first floor. They are also tearing papers. During the vaccination camp, many people were jabbed late in the night. We, too, got vaccinated at the hospital. Now we suspect that we too got fake vaccines."

A police source said, "Shivraj used to work at a private hospital in Kandivli and Nita used to be a storekeeper there. The duo fell in love and got married. Nita used to present herself as a doctor to patients. Shivam Hospital is also a police line, where police personnel get treatment free of cost. This is how the hospital gained influence with officers and misused it."

No fire NOC

Social worker Alex Nadar from Charkop had complained to MHADA (Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority) about the irregularities in the structure of the hospital in 2018.

Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Vishwas Nangre Patil during a press conference on Friday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Nadar told mid-day, "On 24 July 2018, I complained to the MHADA about the illegalities in Shivam Hospital. Six shops on the society's ground floor have been combined by cutting the pillars to form the hospital. The hospital also built a structure on drainage and duct area which is covered and used to store medical appliances and cloths. The hospital has used up the building's open space. Open space inside the society's premises has been used to create juice and tea shops for hospital visitors. Among other things, the hospital does not have adequate fire fighting system, has violated FSI, has no emergency exit."

"Shivraj has been running Shivam hospital without obtaining an Occupancy Certificate (OC) from the competent authority, against the approved plan and without a fire NOC. In response to an RTI I had filed, I discovered that they do not have a fire NOC. On November 20, 2019, MHADA ordered that the hospital be sealed. Charkop police were informed and police personnel were sent for the sealing. But the owners used their influence and took a stay order," Nadar said.

mid-day has a copy of the MHADA letter asking the hospital to stop functioning.

Money recovered, another FIR

Vishwas Nangre Patil, joint commissioner of police (law and order), said on Friday that the police have arrested 10 people in the scam so far and recovered R12.40 lakh which was taken as vaccination fee.

Social worker Alex Nadar

Apart from cheating and forgery, the accused have also been charged under Section 308 (intention or knowledge and under such circumstances that, if he by that act caused death, he would be guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. "People who got the fake vaccines did not have any side effects, but would have been confident of not contracting Covid-19. This could have proved fatal," Nangre Patil said.

So far, Kandivli, Borivli, Bangur Nagar, Versova, Khar and Bhoiwada police stations have registered FIRs related to the case. On Friday, Naupada police also registered an FIR after a company from Thane said that the arrested accused conducted a vaccination camp and jabbed 116 people. Of these, only four got certificates after getting the vaccine. The accused took Rs 1.16 lakh from the company. The FIR has been filed against Shrikant Mane, Sanjay Gupta, Seema Ahuja, Karim Ali and main accused Mahendra Singh.

Meanwhile, the sessions court reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea of Dr Manish Tripathi, who is absconding, till June 28.