The Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of Nagpur City Police has arrested Dr Sameer Narayanrao Paltewar in connection with a Rs 17 crore scam involving fake digital advertisement bills of Meditrina Hospital, Ramdaspeth. The EoW, led by Senior Police Inspector Dhnyaneshwar Bhedodkar, arrested Dr Paltewar around 6 pm from his hospital. However, he complained of chest pain, and the police immediately took him to Mayo Hospital for a check-up. He was undergoing treatment at the hospital till late at night. It may be mentioned here that Additional Sessions Judge A V Dhuldhule rejected the ad interim pre-arrest bail of Dr Paltewar and 13 other accused persons on Friday.

 

The case was registered based on a complaint by Ganesh Ramchandra Chakkarwar (65), a resident of Shubham Regency, Ramdaspeth. According to police, Chakkarwar and Dr Paltewar, along with other partners, established VRG Health Care Private Limited in December 2006 and launched Meditrina Hospital in 2012. Chakkarwar served as Managing Director until 2017. In 2016, other partners sold their shares to Chakkarwar and Dr Paltewar. The two later planned to build a new hospital on a nearby vacant plot. During this period, the accused allegedly created fake digital advertisement bills worth Rs 16.84 crore and transferred the money through fraudulent means.

 

Once the scam came to light, Chakkarwar approached the EoW, which investigated the matter and registered the case at Sitabuldi Police Station. This is the fifth case against Dr Paltewar. The first, in 2019, involved an Rs 3 crore fraud. Later, two more cheating cases and a fourth case were registered for locking hospital premises and denying access to other directors and patients. The latest case relates to misappropriation of funds through advertisement bills. Sources from the EoW said the investigation is ongoing to trace the money trail and identify other people involved in the scam.