The Thane police have booked a lawyer and a doctor for forgery and cheating under the Indian Penal Code after the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) filed a complaint against them on Wednesday.
MSRTC officials said that Advocate U.R. Vishwakarma had cheated it of ₹1.24 crore by filing bogus claims for compensation on behalf of the victims of two accidents involving MSRTC buses that took place last year. Dr. Mihir Rannavare of Thane Civil Hospital has been accused of forging certificates claiming that the injured were treated at the hospital.
Fake signatures
The MSRTC’s Vigilance Department during an inquiry found that the signatures and thumb impressions on the claims were of tribals in Shahpur. MSRTC officials said that Mr. Vishwakarma had allegedly collected the signatures after promising the tribals ₹50,000 each.
Manoj Lohiya, Chief Vigilance officer of MSRTC, said that Mr. Vishwakarma filed his first claim with the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in January this year over an accident that took place between Shahpur and Junawli on March 26, 2016. One passenger died and 27 others were injured when the driver of the MSRTC bus veered the vehicle to avoid hitting a motorcycle. Mr. Lohiya said Mr. Vishwakarma had claimed a compensation of ₹1.16 crore for victims of the accident.
Mr. Lohiya said that the second claim was filed seeking compensation of ₹8 lakh for eight passengers who were injured in an MSRTC bus accident near Bhiwandi bus depot. Avinash Patil, Division Controller, MSRTC, Thane, said: “We suspected that the claims were bogus and made inquiries into the matter. We found that the discharge certificates and medical reports from Thane Civil Hospital were forged. We also found that the victims of the second accident were not even treated at the hospital. All these certificates and reports were signed by Dr. Mihir Rannavare.”
The Vigilance Department’s inquiry also found that the tribals who had signed or given their thumb impressions on the claims were unaware of Mr. Vishwakarma’s intentions. When a team from the Vigilance Department spoke to the tribals, they said that Mr. Vishwakarma promised to pay them ₹50,000 each for signing or giving their thumb impressions.
Nine claims withdrawn
The Thane police registered an First Information Report after the MSRTC registered a complaint against Mr. Vishwakarma and Dr. Rannavare. Senior Police Inspector M.V. Dharmadhikari said, “We have booked both the accused for forgery and cheating under the Indian Penal Code and are conducting further inquiries into the matter. The accused will be called in for questioning.”
MSRTC officials said Mr. Vishwakarma has withdrawn nine other claims that he had filed with the tribunal.
