ONGC approves medical fraud prosecutions
Nearly three years after a medical fraud rocked ONGC, the CBI has widened its investigation amid speculation the scam could involve as much as Rs30cr ($3.5m).
On June 17 (2025), the CBI lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against two former ONGC doctors and proprietors of eight medical shops on charges of fraud and cheating. This came about after ONGC group general manager and head of corporate vigilance Girish Dhamija wrote to the CBI's office in Guwahati on June 2 (2025) approving an investigation into the complaint against Dr Bijoy Kumar Shaw, former DGM medical services and Dr Eashitva Tamuly, former contractual medical officer - occupational health.
Both doctors were based at the Jorhat asset in Assam. On May 30 (2025), HR director Manish Patil signed letters approving the prosecution of the former employees under Section 17 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
On April 9 (2025), the in-charge chief general manager of vigilance, Manoj Kumar, filed a complaint against the two doctors and eight shops, which were 'empanelled' onto ONGC's approved list of medical vendors. This is the second time that the CBI has been involved in the case.
The first time was on May 9 (2023) when the CBI conducted raids on Kiran Physiotherapy Clinic and Dr Shaw in Jorhat. At the time, ONGC did not indicate the presence of a larger medical scam, but something has changed since then.
In his May 30 (2025) letter, Patil writes that Shaw worked at ONGC between 2016 and 2022, and Tamuly worked at ONGC between 2018 and 2022. He added that documents revealed the two officers abused their positions and defrauded ONGC.
While the initial inquiry (2022) was based on a smaller sample, an internal inquiry later sampled 1042 requisition slips (prescriptions) corresponding to 565 individual employees. "It was found that around 40% of the total shortlisted requisition slips were issued fraudulently and claimed, amounting to Rs40 lakhs ($46,600)," writes Patil.
Samples previously seen by the vigilance department in 2022 amounted to Rs5 lakhs ($5800). "If the entire period is considered, the loss may be much higher," emphasises Patil.