Mumbai police arrest two for Rs 7 crore ICU bed scam

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The Bandra police have arrested two people for allegedly defrauding a businessman of Rs 7 crore using a fake government resolution (GR) and luring him with a contract to supply 18,000 ICU beds to government hospitals across Maharashtra. The accused have been identified as Ramesh Bansode, a resident of Aurangabad, and Balaji Ganpati Pawar, alias Balu, a resident of Latur.

The complainant, Taufail Khan, 45, a resident of Bandra, runs an interior design company in Rasayani near Khopoli. According to Khan, the accused posed as officers on special duty (OSDs) to ministers at Mantralaya when they approached him in April. Khan said the duo offered him a major government contract worth over Rs 130 crore.

"One Nitin Gupta arranged the meetings between Khan and the accused at his office in Mulund," said a police officer. The officer said in April, Khan met them outside Mantralaya and gave them Rs 1 crore and then at Gupta's office in Mulund and gave them another R6 crore. The accused then went on the run. When Khan enquired at Mantralaya, he found that no such GR had been issued. Khan then approached the Bandra police and lodged a complaint.