Safdarjung Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Jagdish Prasad has been booked for defrauding two disabled persons of over Rs 22 lakh.

The complaint was filed after Dr Prasad allegedly went back on his promise to award the two complainants a contract to run the hospital canteen on a 90-year lease under the quota for disabled persons.

The police recently registered a case under IPC Sections 420 (cheating) and 406 (breach of trust) and 36 (criminal act done by several persons with common intention) against Dr Prasad, a Padmashree awardee, and his relative, one Virender.

Virender, the police said, mediated the deal and is absconding now.

The duo — Jagat Narayan, who is visually impaired, and S K Sinha, who is disabled — lodged a complaint with Sarojini Nagar police on August 28 after Dr Prasad started “avoiding” them when they went to get the contract allegedly promised to them. “We gave him the money in installment ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. I even sold land in my village,” Narayan said.

“But his staff has not allowed me into the hospital since August 4.”

That is when, Narayan said, he decided to take the legal recourse. The complainants knew Dr Prasad as he came from the same village in Bihar.

According to police, the complainants have said that they paid the last installment of Rs 4.25 lakh to Dr Prasad on August 4 — the money was reportedly handed over at his office.

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