Pune: The Maharashtra government will constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe suspected fraud involving thousands of treatment claims and surgeries under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday.Maharashtra government will constitute SIT to probe suspected fraud involving thousands of treatment claims and surgeries under MJPJAY, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. (ANI)The SIT, headed by Nashik divisional commissioner Praveen Gedam, will include experts from various departments. The decision follows a scrutiny by the State Health Assurance Society, which detected around 16,000 suspicious treatment claims and surgeries between 2024 and 2026. Of these, nearly 9,500 cases were reported from Nashik district alone.Five hospitals in Nashik have already been de-empanelled following the alleged irregularities.The announcement was made during a review meeting of the integrated Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) and MJPJAY at the state legislature.Fadnavis said the SIT would probe and ensure strict action against those found guilty. The government will also recover funds found to have been fraudulently claimed.“Providing quality and transparent healthcare to poor and needy citizens is the government’s highest priority. Any malpractice in public health insurance schemes will not be tolerated. Those responsible will face strict action and the misappropriated funds will be recovered,” Fadnavis said.The government has also decided to examine around 13 lakh cases flagged as potentially fraudulent using artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics to identify suspicious patterns and irregular claims.The Maharashtra cyber police will assist in investigating cyber-enabled fraud and irregularities in digital transactions linked to the schemes.High-value treatment claims will undergo special audits and individual verification, while cases already identified as suspicious will be subjected to forensic audits before legal action is initiated wherever violations are established.To strengthen oversight, the state will establish dedicated fraud prevention units in every district, integrated with advanced dashboards for real-time monitoring and analysis of suspicious transactions.Fadnavis said the measures were aimed at improving transparency and accountability in the implementation of the state’s flagship health insurance schemes.Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, public health minister Prakash Abitkar, minister of state for public health Meghna Sakore-Bordikar, public health principal secretary Dr Nipun Vinayak, director general of police Sadanand Date, State Health Assurance Society CEO Annasaheb Chavan and other senior officials attended the meeting.MLA Rahul Aher, who had raised the issue of alleged irregularities under MJPJAY in Nashik district, presented details of the suspected fraud during the meeting.