Former Lava MD sends imposter to get heart test done; caught
The Delhi Police apprehended a guy at AIIMS on Friday for allegedly impersonating Hari Om Rai, former managing director of the Lava International mobile company, who is charged with money laundering by the Enforcement Directorate against Chinese smartphone maker vivo-India and others, according to officials.
Naval Kishor Ram was detained while undergoing an echocardiography at the ECHO Lab of the medical institute under the name Hari Om Rai.
On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) requested that the Delhi Police register a FIR against Hari Om Rai, his son Pranay Rai, Ram, and several others.
The alleged impersonator was placed under arrest on Friday.
ED had arrested Hari Om Rai in Money Laundering Case
The ED detained Hari Om Rai on October 10, 2023, on money laundering accusations in the investigation against Vivo-India. He had obtained three months of medical bail from the Delhi High Court, which was set to expire on May 16.
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In February, the Delhi High Court granted him three months’ bail on medical grounds.
Hari Om Rai recently applied to the High Court for an extension of his medical bail due to cardiac concerns.
In response, the court ordered that he undergo a cardiac health test at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), with the report due to the court on Thursday.
A source told ED officials waiting at AIIMS that Hari Om Rai was “unwell” and would reach the hospital “as soon as possible”, the source said.
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Faced with non-cooperation, the source said, ED officers and AIIMS staff went to the cardiology ECHO lab, where they were “shocked” to see another individual being examined by a doctor on duty in Hari Om Rai’s name and using court-issued paperwork.
The individual, eventually identified as Naval Kishor Ram, “initially claimed” to be Hari Om Rai, but under further questioning, revealed his true name to ED officers.
He (Ram) claimed that a doctor at a private health facility, Vasant Health Centre, told him to take the high court documents intended for Hari Om Rai, as well as the original medical records, and receive “free treatment” in Rai’s name.
The agency held Ram and his nephew at AIIMS, after which his search was performed and a ‘panchnama’ was prepared.
“He (Ram) was instructed to tell his name as Hari Om Rai,” the ED officials informed police through the FIR in the case.
