Lilavati Hospital chief alleges ’tilted’ probe into murderous attack

MUMBAI - The renowned Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre was at the centre of an ugly row among its trustees with a top official Wednesday accusing Mumbai Police of “tilted” investigations into the murderous attack on him last month.

Niket V. Mehta, the hospital’s managing trustee, said it was nearly a month since he survived the brutal assault by 15 goons on July 23, but the police have not bothered to properly question some of the accused who were arrested soon after the attack.

His cousin Chetan Mehta is amongst those accused.

“The Bandra police are a disgrace to the entire state police system. I am completely dissatisfied with the police investigation, which is tilted in favour of the accused, including Chetan Mehta and others,” an angry Niket Mehta told reporters here.

However, he expressed faith in the integrity of Police Commissioner Sanjeev Dayal and hoped he would get to the bottom of the whole issue.

Giving his own assessment of the circumstances leading to the attack, Niket Mehta said the issue started July 21 when the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition filed by his uncle and hospital trustee Prabodh K. Mehta.

The petition, which sought to cover up his conviction in a criminal case in Belgium, had been filed by Prabodh K. Mehta in 2008.

In view of the high court developments, Niket Mehta terminated Prabodh Mehta’s trusteeship the next day and dissolved the powerful sub-committee by sacking three other heads of department.

“As a result of this, Prabodh K. Mehta conspired with Chetan P. Mehta and attempted to kill my client, Niket Mehta,” said Niket Mehta’s advocate Dinesh Tiwari.

He contended that the following day — July 23 at 3.30 p.m. — at least 15 goons bypassed three security points, barged inside Niket Mehta’s office and attacked him but he fought back fiercely.

Niket Mehta and Tiwari claimed that the attack was premeditated in connivance with other trustees of the prestigious and landmark hospital in Bandra West.

“The circumstances clearly show the involvement of the trio comprising Chetan Mehta, Prabodh Mehta and Rashmi Mehta (all are members of the sub-committee running day-to-day affairs of the Hospital), conspiring to eliminate Niket Mehta,” Tiwari pointed out.

While Prabodh Mehta and Rashmi Mehta are Niket Mehta’s uncles, Chetan Prabodh Mehta is his cousin.

Concurring with Niket Mehta’s view, Prashant Kishore Mehta, another of his cousin, said the three — Prabodh Mehta, Rashmi Mehta and Chetan Mehta — had done this earlier as well.

“In the past, they had also attacked my mother Charu Mehta, a permanent trustee, I fully agree with Niket Mehta,” Prashant K. Mehta told IANS.

Claiming that the hospital trustees had erased the contents of the CCTV footage of the attack, Niket Mehta said police laxity in the investigations has compelled him to engage private security to protect himself.

“As stated in the police FIR, two eyewitnesses were present in the room during the attack. But unfortunately, so far they have not been questioned by the investigators,” Tiwari said.

A day after the attack, Niket Mehta’s father and founder of the hospital, Vijay Mehta passed away. It appears that the battle to gain control over the Rs.700-crore Lilavati Hospital empire has intensified among the trustees.