Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court has denied bail to two doctors accused of alleged fraud in the Rajasthan Govt Health Scheme (RGHS), involving fake records and causing an alleged loss of around Rs seven crore to the state exchequer. The bench of Justice Chandra Prakash Srimali rejected bail pleas of Dr Kamal Kumar alias KK Agrawal and Dr Banwari Lal alias B Lal, a partner in the diagnostic centre allegedly involved in the case, Tuesday; the copy of the order was uploaded Thursday. Court also directed the trial court to expedite proceedings.State govt, represented by Additional Advocate General Rajesh Chaudhary and AGC Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, opposed the bail pleas and highlighted the alleged scale of the fraud. Chaudhary stated that between Sept 2023 and Aug 2025, fake consultation slips were allegedly prepared in the names of 1,390 RGHS beneficiaries.“These documents were allegedly used to claim payments for medical investigations and treatment in the names of patients,” Chaudhary argued. The prosecution also alleged that fake records were used to obtain payments for investigations such as MRI and CT scans. Based on the allegedly fabricated records, around Rs 1.30 crore was paid by RGHS to the diagnostic centre, the state submitted.Govt, however, contended that the alleged fraud was not restricted to this amount and various methods were used to cause an overall financial loss of around Rs seven crore to state govt. However, the petitioners argued that they had remained in judicial custody for a considerable period, the investigation had been completed and the charge sheet had already been filed. “After completion of investigation and charge sheet, continued incarceration is not justified,” the counsels argued.After hearing both sides, high court refused to grant bail, taking into account the nature of allegations and the alleged financial loss to the state. “Doctors hold a respected position in the society and alleged fraud in a govt healthcare scheme does not merely cause financial loss to the govt but can also undermine the functioning of healthcare system and public confidence in it,” the court observed.While rejecting both bail applications, HC directed the trial court to fix proximate dates for hearing, take necessary steps to ensure the presence of witnesses and record statements of important witnesses on priority. The trial court has also been asked to make efforts to conclude the proceedings at the earliest.
