Bombay HC directs Rakesh Wadhawan, accused in PMC bank fraud case, to be shifted back to KEM hospital
India Today
The Bombay High Court has directed Rakesh Wadhawan to be shifted back to BMC-run KEM hospital on Thursday.
The Bombay High Court has ordered the DHFL scam accused Rakesh Wadhawan to be shifted back to BMC-run KEM hospital. The dean of the KEM hospital has been ordered to evaluate Wadhawan's health and submit a report next week.The bench of Justice Anuja Prabhudessai passed this order while hearing a bail application filed by Wadhawan. Although in the court, Wadhawan's lawyer, Niranjan Mundargi, stated that he was not pressing for bail.
"I am not praying for bail. Pursuant to a court order, Wadhawan was shifted to a private hospital in the western suburbs and thereafter it was extended by two weeks. The hospital has now given a report that I can be shifted to KEM," Mundargi said.Wadhawan had undergone heart surgery in a private hospital at his own expense and thus the court had sought the report from the hospital to know about his status. The private hospital had told the court that the surgery was successful and Wadhawan could be shifted back to the KEM hospital where he was admitted earlier.Advocate Hiten Venegaonkar appearing for the investigating agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated that since Wadhawan was fit enough, he should be discharged from the hospital.However, Mundargi said that Wadhawan was not fit enough to be discharged and he was suffering from various other ailments. "He has other co-mormidities. He is suffering from lung disease and is unable to even stand. One time when he stood up, he damaged his ribs. He is in immense pain and is on intravenous pain killer even now according to their own report," said Mundargi.After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Prabhudessai said that it was best to get a medical expert's opinion on the issue and asked the Dean of KEM hospital to evaluate the medical condition of Wadhawan and submit a report. The court will further hear the case on April 8.Wadhawan was arrested under charges of money laundering in the multi-crore Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank fraud case. Both the ED and the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police registered offences against him.
The fraud at PMC Bank came to light in September 2019 after the Reserve Bank of India discovered that the bank had allegedly created fictitious accounts to hide over Rs 4,355 crore of loans extended to almost-bankrupt Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL).
