Archive · 26 Dec 2025
UP STF Arrests 7 in Ayushman Bharat Scam
The police in Uttar Pradesh caught seven people who were making fake health cards for a government program called Ayushman Bharat.
These fake cards were given to people who weren't supposed to get them, so they could get free medical treatment.
The group was working in several districts and even had people helping them bypass security checks.
They used computers and fake documents to make these cards and charged a lot of money for each one.
The police found all their equipment and are now investigating further.
Seven individuals arrested for issuing over 2,000 fake Ayushman Bharat health cards across multiple districts in Uttar Pradesh.
The gang operated in Lucknow, Barabanki, Pratapgarh, Ghazipur, and Etawah, bypassing OTP verification with help from cyber café operators and ISA insiders.
Equipment including computers, printers, and forged documents were seized from the accused.
Mastermind Chandra Bhan Verma charged ₹6,000 per fake card, with bribes paid for approvals.
The scam enabled ineligible individuals to avail free medical treatment at government-empanelled hospitals.
- Who
- Seven individuals, including Chandra Bhan Verma, Rajesh Mishra, Sujit Kanaujia, Saurabh Maurya, Vishwajeet Singh, Ranjit Singh, and Ankit Yadav
- What
- Arrests for issuing over 2,000 fake Ayushman Bharat health cards
- When
- December 25, 2023
- Where
- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, with operations across multiple districts
- Why
- To enable ineligible individuals to avail free medical treatment at government-empanelled hospitals
- Number of Accused
- 7
- Number of Fake Cards
- 2,000+
- Districts Involved
- Lucknow, Barabanki, Pratapgarh, Ghazipur, Etawah
- Equipment Seized
- Computers, printers, forged documents
- OTP Bypass Method
- Cyber café operators and ISA insiders
- Charge per Card
- ₹6,000
