conductors

BEST

bus drivers

Dharavi bus depot

Central hospital

hemiparesis

unilateral paresis

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Top: Arun Gharge caught dancing; (right) his disability certificate; above: Jeevan Lagas, who is supposedly ‘paralysed’, seen riding a bike

Who stole our loan waiver certificates? The case of the conned villagers may be an isolated one, but experts tell Mirror the ‘karj mafi’ scheme has ignored ground realities, leaving thousands of farmers out in the cold.

While they submitted certificates citing over 40 per cent disability to claim ‘lighter duty’, videos expose the lies.Sting operations conducted by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) on its own employees have revealed how some drivers andhave been faking disabilities to get lighter duties. After three employees were caught on video faking their injuries,has started investigations on 400and conductors who are currently on ‘lighter duty’ claiming over 40 per cent disability.Videos accessed by Mumbai Mirror of a BEST conductor and a driver who had submitted certificates claiming over 40 per cent permanent disability reveal their lies.Jeevan Lagas, 44, a bus driver posted at, had joined BEST in September 2011. In 2016, he went on leave claiming that he had suffered a stroke, due to which he was paralysed on the left side. When he came back, he applied for lighter duty and produced a certificate issued by the additional civil surgeon of state-runin Ulhasnagar which said that he suffered from, or, which is weakness of one side of the body.However, the BEST’s medical board was not convinced and asked him to produce MRI or CT scan report to establish his claim.The board also examined him and found him to be fit and refused to give him lighter duty.“His claims are all a lie. There was no record of his admission or treatment in the Ulhasnagar hospital,” said an officer of the vigilance team.As the team wanted solid proof of their suspicions, they called Lagas to come to their Colaba headquarters and submit a few reports on June 6, 2018. Cameras were placed to capture his movements, said the investigating officer.Lagas entered the office with the help of a walking stick, holding his wife’s hand, which was captured on CCTV. After he left the office, the vigilance team started following him with a camera. He boarded the CST-Badlapur train, got down at Badlapur station. After he got off the train, everything changed. He handed over his stick to his wife, started walking normally and even rode his bike, which was parked outside the station. He even stopped to buy fish on the way. “This was big evidence for us. We also came to know that he was running a small transport business in Ulhasnagar,” added the officer.BEST officials then prepared to file an FIR against Lagas under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, which says that whoever frequently avails or attempts to avail any benefit meant for persons with benchmark disabilities, which attracts a punishment of upto two years in jail or a fine of upto Rs 1 lakh.Even before he could be suspended, Lagas came to know about the secret operation and resigned from his duties. “However, since he did this fraudulently with BEST, we are trying to make sure that he doesn’t get any benefits and that he is punished,” said the officer. BEST is now planning to move the High Court against Lagas.While the team was investigating Lagas case, they received a letter and a CD from a BEST conductor in which he had secretly recorded another conductor, who had claimed 42 per cent permanent disability, dancing with gusto at a function. According to BEST sources, Arun Tukaram Gharge, 49, a bus conductor with Bandra depot since 2010, produced a certificate provided by state-run JJ hospital, which states that he has 42 per cent disability. He was said to be suffering from spondylitis, slipped disc weakness in the lower limb. Since then, he had been put on lighter duty.“With this kind of health problem, no one can dance the way he was, moving his back and limbs. His dance moves would put an able-bodied man to shame,” said Dr Anil Kumar Singhal, chief medical officer, BEST headquarters.“Gharge was sent for another fitness test in BMC-run Nair Hospital. But despite repeated reminders, he is not going for the retest. He justifies the video saying he was drunk and doesn’t remember how he managed to dance that way,” added Dr Singhal. Gharge has been removed from ‘lighter duty’ and officials are waiting for fresh medical certificates.Some drivers have also been faking the extent of their disabilities. One such driver, Sanjay Gaikwad, 49, had produced certificates in 2015 claiming 52 per cent permanent disability, with left sided cervical radiculopathy. However, when he was sent for cross examination at JJ hospital this month, his disability was proved to be 19 per cent.Since 2005, 554 BEST conductors and drivers were sent on lighter duty on grounds of medical fitness.BEST committee chairman Ashish Chemburkar told Mirror, “We are suspecting a big racket on disability certificates, even doctors are involved in this. Our teams are investigating and strict action will be taken against whoever is committing these frauds. I have asked our vigilance team to investigate further. There are many under the scanner.”