Srinagar, June 19, KDC: An explosive multi-agency anti-fraud investigation has ripped open a shocking medical racket at Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag, revealing that nearly half of the audited advanced cardiac surgeries under the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) SEHAT (Social Endeavour for Health and Telemedicine) scheme were performed on healthy patients who never needed them.
At the centre of the investigation is a senior cardiologist accused of abusing his position to carry out medically unjustified procedures and manipulate public health claims, allegedly exposing patients to unnecessary interventions while facilitating the diversion of funds meant for welfare beneficiaries.
The Jammu and Kashmir Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department has formally proposed severe disciplinary proceedings against Dr. Syed Maqbool, Cardiologist, GMC Anantnag. Initiated under the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956, the action could result in the maximum administrative penalty, termination from service.
In an official memorandum signed by Neha Bakshi (JKAS), Deputy Secretary to the Government, a copy of which has been accessed by news agency Kashmir Dot Com the administration warned the cardiologist that he must submit a written statement of defence within seven days. If he fails to respond or indicate whether he wishes to be heard in person, the disciplinary proceedings “shall be held ex-parte”.
The scandal surfaced when the State Anti-Fraud Unit (SAFU) received multiple alerts from field teams regarding suspected out-of-pocket expenditures incurred by poor patients at GMC Anantnag. A preliminary audit of the Transaction Management System (TMS), the online portal used to track welfare claims, flagged an alarming pattern in the Cardiology Department.
According to the formal Article of Charges accessed by Kashmir Dot Com, investigators found that Dr. Maqbool had committed “serious data falsification and financial fraud”.
“You booked and claimed 103 cases on the Transaction Management System (TMS) under the ‘Dual Chamber Pacemaker Implantation’ package (Code: MC016A). However, physical records prove you have actually performed Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing (LBBAP). This intentional misrepresentation was designed to siphon public welfare funds from the PMJAY/SEHAT scheme under a false clinical pretext,” the charges state.
By logging these descriptions into the digital system, the state alleges the doctor actively worked to siphon public welfare funds from the Ayushman Bharat PMJAY/SEHAT scheme, which provides free healthcare to eligible beneficiaries.
The most serious aspect of the probe concerns procedures carried out in the hospital’s Cath Lab. After the State Health Agency (SHA) noticed an alarming spike in Left Bundle Branch Area Pacing (LBBAP), a highly specialised cardiac pacing technique, it referred the data to the Head of the Cardiology Department at SKIMS, Soura, for an independent review.
The medical panel’s findings were damning. Experts reported that LBBAP is an invasive procedure with “strict clinical boundaries” and is indicated only in patients with borderline or severe left ventricular dysfunction and specific narrow QRS ECG morphology.
However, the clinical audit of Dr. Maqbool’s cases found what investigators described as a complete absence of clinical justification.
“An independent expert evaluation showed that out of 55 evaluated LBBAP cases, 27 patients (49%) had completely normal left ventricular function and wide QRS morphology. Performing patients shows a complete disregard for patient safety and professional ethics for personal motives,” the audit found.
The SKIMS experts concluded there was no medical justification for performing LBBAP on these 27 individuals, prompting the SHA to issue claim rejection orders on grounds of medical fraud.
While the PMJAY/SEHAT scheme is mandated to be completely cashless within public facilities, the probe alleges that Dr. Maqbool operated a parallel system of out-of-pocket payments. The state claims he “directly violated” the scheme’s mandate and “forced vulnerable patients to pay out-of-pocket expenses”.
The investigation highlights one case in particular.
“Specifically, in Case ID 1017305786, the patient was coerced into paying ₹70,000 to a private company. This financial exploitation of public beneficiaries constitutes severe criminal misconduct.”
A beneficiary audit and home visit conducted by SAFU teams to the residence of Peer Rafiq Ahmad verified the transaction. The patient confirmed that the payment was made directly to private firm M/s SSB Combination through an invoice generated outside the hospital system and stated that “Dr. Syed Maqbool performed the procedure and directed the external financial transaction”.
Investigators further allege that Dr. Maqbool bypassed established hospital accountability protocols.
Standard procedure requires a cardiologist to generate a hardware requisition that must be vetted by the PMJAY section, countersigned by the Casualty Medical Officer (CMO), and fulfilled through the AMRIT Store network to ensure the use of approved medical devices.
Instead, Article III of the charges states that Dr. Maqbool “deliberately bypassed the institutional supply chain network of GMC Anantnag” and “illegally collaborated with private external vendors, effectively destroying hospital transparency, quality control and accountability protocols”.
When investigators examined patient records, they found hardware and implant barcodes that “do not match any inventory items from the authorised hospital store”. Records also showed a “complete absence of mandatory vetting signatures” from the PMJAY section and the CMO.
The investigation encountered further obstacles when officials sought procurement records. During an unannounced inspection on December 19, 2025, SAFU investigators alleged that local store management was actively withholding information.
“To hide this activity, the local AMRIT Store management has actively withheld procurement data since April 2025. This deliberate obstruction of an official anti-fraud investigation points toward systemic collusion,” the report states.
Official correspondence and telephonic records with Mr. Ashish, State Head of AMRIT Stores, allegedly revealed a pattern of “wilful non-compliance and withholding of data”.
The Health and Medical Education Department has compiled what it describes as a comprehensive body of evidence, including digital records from the TMS detailing the 103 disputed cardiac procedures under code MC016A, operation theatre notes digitally signed by Dr. Maqbool, handwritten entries in the GMC Anantnag Cath Lab Procedure Register, and a retail invoice issued by M/s SSB Combination to patient Peer Rafiq Ahmad for ₹70,000.
The department also plans to present oral testimony from the Head of Cardiology at SKIMS, the In-charge of Cardiac Electrophysiology at SKIMS, the Medical Superintendent of GMC Anantnag, the Cath Lab In-charge, and affected patients and their families.
The government, in its Statement of Imputations, has termed the alleged acts as a complete failure of devotion to duty, gross abuse of official position and serious medical malpractice, holding that the conduct amounts to grave misconduct unbecoming of a government servant.
They have issued a charge notice to Dr Syed Maqbool, granting him seven days to submit his written defence, following which the government will take a final decision on disciplinary action, including the possibility of termination from service and other proceedings as warranted. (KDC)
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