Now that Ravi Prakash is shorn of all his ‘magical’ powers and is enmeshed in legal wrangles and cases, the skeletons are tumbling out one by one. How Ravi Prakash guzzled up ill-gotten funds is now becoming public knowledge.
Questions are now being raised about a hospital that he had set up in collaboration with some NRIs. There are allegations that the funds collected for the project were diverted to his personal accounts. Sources said that Ravi Prakash, in association with NRI named Anand Kuchibhotla, have set up Raviprakash Sanjeevani Hospital in Kuchipudi.
This hospital had promised low-cost treatment to debilitating diseases and NRI assistance in the treatment process. Ravi Prakash reportedly collected huge amounts as donations using the TV9 Little Hearts platform. But, sources in the know accuse Ravi Prakash of siphoning off these funds into his personal accounts. Both Ravi Prakash and Kuchibhotla went from door to door in Kuchipudi village requesting for financial support to the hospital. Sources say that the amount collected had remained shrouded in secrecy. They had allegedly promised those donating more than Rs 1 lakh that they would be treated for free by expert doctors from the US. But, recently, when one such donor recently got admitted to the hospital for a heart complaint, he reportedly found to his horror that there was no specialist doctor available.
The donor reportedly passed away due non-availability of doctors. They have reportedly approached the police with a complaint and furnished details of the bank transactions. They also reported that they were promised tax benefits under 18 C of the IT Act, but have now found that the hospital is not exempted under the said act. Also, the promises of naming rooms and various departments after those who donated big amounts has not been carried out.
Locally, the donors, philanthropists and the general public are said to be talking about how they were duped and how both Ravi Prakash and Kuchobhotla have not been visiting the facility. There are fears and apprehensions among these donors that their donations have been diverted. Post Ravi Prakash’s arrest, Kuchibhotla organised a press conference in a hurried manner and showed the names of the donors on the screen. But, he did not give the list of the donors to the media persons. This has only served to heighten the fears among the donors, say sources. They feel it’s high time that either Ravi Prakash or Kuchibhotla or both should come clean and clarify.
