FIR against Dr Naresh Trehan, Medanta Hospital in Gurugram land grabbing case

GURUGRAM: The Gurugram Police on Saturday registered an FIR against renowned cardiologist Dr Naresh Trehan, Medanta Hospital and some others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case relating to the acquisition of land.

According to the Zee Media sources, Dr Naresh Trehan, who is the owner of Medanta Hospital, has been charged with money laundering and Sections 120B, 406, 463, 467, 468, 471 of the IPC. The case is related to the year 2004 when the Haryana government launched a project to build a Medicity in 53 acres of land in Sector 38 of Gurugram under HUDA.

However, it is alleged that Dr Naresh Trehan in connivance with government officials acquired this land for building his hospital due to which the state government suffered a huge loss. The action against the renowned cardiologist and his hospital has been taken on the basis of a complaint filed by complainant Raman Sharma.

In his complaint, Raman Sharma has alleged that in the year 2004, then Haryana Government had acquired 53 acres of land in Sector 38 of Gurugram for the Medicity Project but nothing like that happened.

It has been alleged that under the Medicity Project, a research center and a world-class hospital was to be constructed on this land along with a place providing shelter to patients and their family members, but nothing happened. On this land, a hospital was built by Dr Naresh Trehan for purely commercial use.

The aim of creating Medicity was to create an international level hospital in the country with facilities like research, medical studies, a hostel for students, but nothing of this sort happened. Complainant Raman Sharma also alleged that the money is being sent elsewhere. It was said that under the project, a board will be formed, which will include an official from the government, to keep an eye on the functioning but this did not happen.

It is also alleged that the cost of the whole project was estimated to be around Rs 900 crores, but despite knowing the fact that Dr Naresh Trehan could not spend so much money, he and others connived to take control of the project.

In June last year, Raman Sharma had also approached the Enforcement Directorate to file a money laundering case against the doctor. The central agency later sent this complaint to the Gurugram Police for necessary action. But nothing happened in the case. 

After that, the complainant approached the Gurugram court. On the court's direction, a case has now been registered against Naresh Trehan, Sunil Sachdeva, Atul Punj, Anant Jain, and unknown government officials at the Sadar police station of Gurugram Police.