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Ex-Fortis Healthcare Promoter Accuses Brother And Others Of Financial Fraud

Malvinder Singh filed a criminal complaint against brother Shivinder and others accusing financial fraud and threats to kill him.

A patient undergoes dialysis, aided by a Fresenius Medical Care AG machine, at a Fortis Healthcare India Ltd. (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)
A patient undergoes dialysis, aided by a Fresenius Medical Care AG machine, at a Fortis Healthcare India Ltd. (Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg)

Former Fortis Healthcare promoter Malvinder Singh has filed a criminal complaint against his brother Shivinder Singh, spiritual head of the Radha Soami Satsang Gurinder Singh Dhillon and others accusing financial fraud and threats to kill him.

The other people who are named in the complaint include Gurkirat Singh Dhillon, Gurpreet Singh Dillon, Shabnam Dhillon, Godhwani kin—Sunil and Sanjay.

Malvinder Singh, who filed the complaint before the Economic Offences Wing, alleged that Gurinder Singh Dhillon or Baba through his lawyer Ferida Chopra has threatened to kill him. “Gurinder Singh Dhillon has threatened the complainant through his lawyer Ferida Chopra that if he did not agree to the demands of Gurinder Singh Dhillon, he would be eliminated by persons from the Radha Soami Satsang,” the complaint said.

The complainant also charged of receiving veiled innuendos and threats from various other satsangis about listening to the demands of Dhillon.

“Shivinder Mohan Singh, in collusion and connivance with Gurinder Singh Dhillon, Gurpreet Singh Dhillon, Gurkirat Singh Dhillon, Sunil Godhwani, Sanjay Godhwani, Rajveer Singh Gulia and Pramod Ahuja misused his position, by aiding in concealment of the illegal acts of siphoning off the funds...,” the complaint alleged.

He alleged that Shivinder Mohan Singh and Sunil Godhwani in conspiracy with other co-accused have carried out and orchestrated serious financial fraud in two other companies—Religare Enterprises Ltd and Religare Finvest Ltd.—which has caused substantial financial losses.

He has also claimed that the accused misrepresented the financial condition of the companies and conspired with Dhillon family to inflict wrongful loss to the complainant. The accused persons have conspired and also misappropriated the property of RHC Holding Pvt Ltd.

“It is submitted that a detailed and thorough investigation is imperative to expose the exact nature and extent of the conspiracy entered into by the accused persons, including custodial interrogation, considering that a substantial amount of public money is involved,” the complaint alleged.

When contacted, Shivinder Singh declined to comment on the issue, while Malvinder Singh did not respond to the queries. The relationship between the Singh brothers, erstwhile promoters of Fortis Healthcare, went sour after allegations of fund diversion from the healthcare chain emerged.

It reportedly aggravated further over payment of arbitration award to Daiichi Sankyo. Shivinder had offered to pay his share of the Rs 3,500 crore award to the Japanese drugmaker in a dispute related to the acquisition of Ranbaxy Laboratories.

In September last year, Shivinder had filed a petition before the National Company Law Tribunal alleging that collective and ongoing actions of Malvinder and ex-Religare chief Sunil Godhwani led to a systemic undermining of the interests of the companies and their shareholders.

He had also alleged his elder brother Malvinder forged his wife’s signature, perpetrated illegal financial transactions and led the company into an unsustainable debt trap.