Kolkata, Sep 24 (IANS): Three persons have been arrested for allegedly selling fake Outpatient Department (OPD) tickets to patients and their families at the state-run SSKM Hospital in south Kolkata, police said on Thursday.
Those arrested have been identified as Asad Ali, Mohammad Shahid and Vihid Ahmed, police said.
According to police, the trio was part of a racket that exploited long queues at the hospital’s OPD ticket counters by offering counterfeit tickets to patients’ relatives at inflated prices.
An officer from the Kolkata Police Intelligence Department said investigators are probing the modus operandi behind the fake ticket racket, the duration of its operations, and whether more individuals were involved. Authorities are also examining allegations of broader irregularities, corruption, and touting activities in government hospitals.
“We are interrogating the three accused arrested in this SSKM incident to find out their modus operandi in making fake OPD tickets,” the officer said.
Police said complaints regarding irregularities in the issuance of OPD tickets at SSKM Hospital had been surfacing for some time. Hospital authorities alleged that a group of individuals had been producing forged tickets resembling genuine ones and selling them to patients’ families.
Following the complaint, Bhowanipur police station launched an investigation. Besides probing the fake ticket operation, investigators examined how the accused identified and approached prospective buyers outside the hospital premises.
The suspects allegedly lured patients’ relatives by promising quicker access to OPD tickets and relief from long waiting lines, charging them more than the prescribed fee.
Investigators scrutinised CCTV footage from the hospital premises and nearby areas to track the suspects’ movements. Analysis of footage from multiple cameras helped identify the accused, who were subsequently arrested and are being interrogated now.
