Latest news with #Chhattisgarh-based
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Bizman sent to jail in liquor scam
1 2 3 Ranchi: Anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Friday produced Chhattisgarh-based businessman Siddharth Singhania before the court in Ranchi in connection with the Rs 38 crore liquor scam in Jharkhand. The ACB did not pray for his police remand leading the court to send him to jail under judicial custody. The ACB had arrested Singhania from Raipur on Thursday. He was brought to Ranchi on a 72-hour transit remand. TNN The arrest came after the special ACB court in Ranchi issued an arrest warrant against Singhania. The ACB had prayed the court for warrant after Singhania failed to appear before for it on summons for facing questions related to case.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Hans India
Chhattisgarh businessman Siddharth Singhania arrested in Jharkhand liquor scam
Ranchi: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has arrested Chhattisgarh-based businessman Siddharth Singhania in connection with the multi-crore Jharkhand liquor scam. Singhania was apprehended during a raid conducted by the Jharkhand ACB near Raipur on Thursday. Following his arrest, he was produced in a local court in Chhattisgarh. The agency is now preparing to bring him to Ranchi on a transit remand for further interrogation. According to officials, the ACB had earlier obtained an arrest warrant against Singhania from a special court in Ranchi on June 12. Earlier, he had been issued several summonses to appear for questioning, but he failed to respond or present himself before the investigators. The case took a turn during an earlier raid by the Chhattisgarh ACB at Singhania's residence in connection with the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. During the search, officials recovered a diary that reportedly contained explosive details pointing to a larger conspiracy involving a liquor syndicate operating in Jharkhand. The diary allegedly outlined the syndicate's strategy for managing the liquor trade in Jharkhand and included plans to "identify and manage" those who are posing a threat to its operations in the state. So far, the ACB's probe in Jharkhand has uncovered a scam worth Rs 38 crore. A total of 16 individuals have been named in the case, including high-ranking officials and private sector operatives. Seven people have already been arrested, including senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, retired IAS officer Amit Prakash, and Jharkhand Administrative Service officer Gajendra Singh. On Tuesday, the ACB secured arrest warrants against seven more individuals from Gujarat and Maharashtra believed to be linked to the scam. The agency has also issued a warrant earlier against Ranchi-based automobile businessman Vinay Kumar Singh, who similarly failed to appear for questioning despite being served notice. With fresh arrests and warrants, the ACB's crackdown on the liquor syndicate continues to widen, exposing a nexus involving businessmen, bureaucrats, and companies.
Mint
3 days ago
- Health
- Mint
Why AYUSH claims keep getting rejected despite new insurance rules
Chhattisgarh-based Moin Vanak, who suffered from diabetes, hypertension, and poor digestion, turned to naturopathy for relief from persistent shoulder, knee and calf pain—as well as sleep issues. He got admitted for a 10-day in-patient treatment at a NABH-accredited facility, paying the expenses out-of-pocket despite having insurance, and later applied for reimbursement. Despite holding a valid policy, his claim was rejected. The insurance company said, "as per submitted documents, the patient was admitted primarily for diagnostic and evaluation purposes." Vanak has submitted his doctor's justification for why in-patient (IPD) care was essential, but the claim remains under dispute. "They are doing so even as the hospital is NABH-accredited," he said. As per the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) directive issued in January 2024, all health insurance policies must cover AYUSH—Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy—treatments on par with modern medicine. While earlier policies included exclusions and sub-limits, insurers are now required to remove these. Yet, some exclusions remain. For instance, Star Health's comprehensive policy still excludes yoga and naturopathy. Niva Bupa's Reassure 2.0 plan also excludes yoga. Also read: Financial resilience: Why emergency funds are more crucial than ever Steep rejection rates Despite growing interest, many claims get rejected. 'We have spoken to a couple of AYUSH hospitals whose administration told us at least 70% insurance claims get rejected," said Shilpa Arora, co-founder & COO, Insurance Samadhan. Mumbai-based CA Mayank Gosar faced a similar situation. His parents, suffering from diabetes and digestive disorders, took a 7–8 day treatment at a NABH-accredited centre. 'There was substantial improvement in health post the treatment. They had taken panchakarma and detoxification therapies, full body acupressure, abdomen pack, neck pack, hydrotherapy and various other ayurvedic procedures," said Gosar. Gosar's mother's claim was rejected on grounds that the treatment didn't need hospitalisation. 'The doctor had clearly mentioned in the justification letter that staying in the AYUSH hospital for 7-8 days was medically necessary," he said. In his father's case, insurers kept asking for the same documents and have not processed the claim for over a year. Gosar has now approached the Insurance Ombudsman. Also read: Health insurance vs medical corpus: What should senior citizens prioritize? Faridabad-based Bhairav Vashishth's claim, initially rejected, was eventually accepted for cashless coverage. His daughter was undergoing treatment for morphea, a rare skin disease. 'After multiple rounds of back and forth and a justification by the doctor, the company accepted our request for cashless coverage," he said. What insurers say Insurance companies argue that AYUSH claims are treated like any other. 'We have observed a significant increase in the uptake of AYUSH treatments under health insurance. From FY24 to FY25, AYUSH claims rose over 30% and the amount paid grew around 48%," said Bhaskar Nerurkar, head - health administration team, Bajaj Allianz. A major challenge is the lack of standard treatment protocols. 'For the same condition, AYUSH medical management could differ greatly from allopathy. Sometimes insurers take an arbitrary stance on whether IPD was needed," said Sreejith Edamana, COO, Apollo AyurVAID. He added, 'More than 80% of our urban patients have insurance coverage, so it is critical to make the process seamless. Industry conversations to improve this are underway." Edamana also flagged CGHS pricing issues. 'Some insurers demand discounts on outdated CGHS rates last updated in 2016. This becomes a loss for everyone—patient, hospital, and insurer," he said. What patients should know Before opting for AYUSH treatment, confirm if your chosen hospital is in-network and NABH-accredited. Admission to an AYUSH hospital must be based on prior consultation and clear diagnosis by a recognised practitioner. Missing documents or unclear justification for hospitalisation often lead to claim rejection, said Bhabatosh Mishra, COO at Niva Bupa. 'You cannot simply go to an AYUSH center and get admitted. There must be a prior consultation with recognised AYUSH doctors and diagnostic reports justifying IPD treatment," he added. Hospitals must meet specific standards: at least five IPD beds, qualified practitioners available 24/7, and dedicated therapy sections. Mishra said that they have seen some AYUSH centers listed on travel aggregator websites offering a pleasant stay or organising an ayurveda retreat. "If you are a hospital treating ailments, how could you project yourself as a hotel?" he said. Also read: Life insurance is an interest area for us, says Star Health MD & CEO Anand Roy Also distinguish preventive vs curative care. 'Insurance covers treatment for disease, accident or infection. But preventive care—like managing blood sugar or BP without a formal diagnosis—may not be covered," said Bajaj's Nerurkar. Watch out for inconsistencies in hospital records. 'Sometimes the supervising doctor is qualified, but internal papers may mention someone else. That creates grounds for rejection," said Arora of Insurance Samadhan. As AYUSH gains ground, coordination between insurers and AYUSH hospitals is essential. Standardised packages and transparent billing could enable smoother, cashless claims. Curiously, even Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri-Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the government's flagship health scheme, is yet to include AYUSH treatments in its coverage. Also read: How corporate India is quietly becoming the health insurer for your parents
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Another ex-IAS officer arrested in Jharkhand liquor ‘scam' case
The Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested retired IAS officer and former excise commissioner Amit Prakash in connection with its investigation into the Jharkhand liquor scam Tuesday — its sixth arrest in the case. Prakash, who was produced before an ACB court Tuesday and was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody, served as the managing director of the Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited (JSBCL) and retired from service on December 31, 2024. He is the second IAS officer to be arrested in the case after former principal secretary and ex-JSBCL Managing Director Vinay Kumar Choubey. This comes after the ACB had arrested Vinay Kumar Choubey and Joint Commissioner of Excise Gajendra Singh on May 20 after the agency registered an FIR alleging irregularities in awarding contracts to placement agencies using fake bank guarantees. The FIR claims that the exchequer suffered a loss of Rs 38 crore due to the alleged fraud. According to the ACB, Prakash, as excise commissioner, had the authority to encash bank guarantees from placement agencies to recover dues for JSBCL but took no action. He was allegedly evasive during questioning. On May 21 – a day after Choubey's arrest — three others, JSBCL's former General Manager (Finance) Sudhir Kumar Das, former GM (Finance and Operations) Sudhir Kumar, and Neeraj Kumar Singh, a local representative of the placement agency Marshan, were arrested in the case. According to the ACB, in November 2024, Prakash authorised payments of over Rs 11 crore to two liquor supply companies from Chhattisgarh Dishita Ventures and Om Sai Beverages without informing the excise minister. The payments, for dues pending since 2022, were allegedly made despite four Chhattisgarh-based placement agencies – which ACB claims are part of the same syndicate — being blacklisted and owing nearly Rs 450 crore to the Jharkhand government. The state has approached the Supreme Court to recover the amount. The ACB claims these payments were cleared just a month before Prakash's retirement. DGP Anurag Gupta – chief of the Jharkhand ACB – did not respond to calls and texts for a comment. Meanwhile, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the CBI's intervention in the matter, claiming that they warned the public and the state government about the scam in 2022. Shubham Tigga hails from Chhattisgarh and studied journalism at the Asian College of Journalism. He previously reported in Chhattisgarh on Indigenous issues and is deeply interested in covering socio-political, human rights, and environmental issues in mainland and NE India. Presently based in Pune, he reports on civil aviation, other transport sectors, urban mobility, the gig economy, commercial matters, and workers' unions. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More
Time of India
04-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
J&K: SPO held with heroin in Udhampur
JAMMU: Police arrested a special police officer (SPO) with over 5g heroin in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district Wednesday. 'A patrolling team intercepted a suspicious person trying to escape. On frisking, police found 5.6g of heroin in his possession. The accused has been identified as Vishal Singh, from Udhampur's Shakti Nagar, posted as an SPO in the same district,' police spokesperson said. In another case, police arrested a Chhattisgarh-based drug peddler and seized 2.4kg ganja from his possession in Kathua district's Ramkot area.
