Former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh removed as Lilavati Hospital executive director

Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh was on Thursday removed as executive director of Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre in Bandra, hours after he lodged a criminal complaint against trustees of the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust (LKMMT), which runs the hospital, as per reports.

Singh, a retired IPS officer, filed the complaint at Bandra Police Station alleging irregularities in the functioning of the trust. According to sources, the complaint includes allegations of forgery, misappropriation of trust funds and criminal intimidation, among other offences.

He had earlier written to the trust’s chairperson, Charu Mehta, on February 2, flagging what he described as malpractices affecting the governance and operations of the hospital. Sources said Singh approached the police after the trust’s board and the chairperson did not act on his concerns. Charu Mehta is the mother of permanent trustees Rajiv, Rajesh and Prashant Mehta.

As per reports, trustees Prashant Mehta and Rajiv Mehta rejected the allegations. Prashant Mehta termed Singh’s claims “totally bogus and motivated” and said a counter-complaint had been filed against Singh and Rajesh Mehta, accusing them of forgery and defalcation. He alleged that the two had fabricated minutes of a board meeting.

Rajiv Mehta confirmed that Singh’s services had been terminated, stating that his complaint lacked legal merit.

The development marks the latest escalation in an ongoing dispute within the trust. Last year, Singh had addressed two press conferences on behalf of LKMMT, alleging that former trustees had embezzled ₹1,250 crore over two decades and resorted to black magic to retain control over the trust.

He had also levelled allegations against Sashidhar Jagdishan, chief executive and managing director of HDFC Bank, claiming that bribes worth ₹2.05 crore had been accepted to facilitate the alleged diversion of trust funds. Jagdishan denied the allegations and challenged them before the Bombay High Court.

Singh was appointed executive director of Lilavati Hospital in July 2024 for a five-year term. Thursday’s action effectively brings his tenure to an early end.