On August 29 at around 10 pm the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) got a call from the ‘Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss’ asking for ‘money’. The call, from a mobile phone with a Delhi number, was received on the Nimhans boardline.
“The Minister’ wanted to speak to Nimhans director, who was not available as he was travelling. He then contacted some of the administrative staff and faculty members of the Institute and told them to arrange for “Rs seven lakh” immediately.
He said he urgently needed the money and assured them that he would return it the next day.
Petrified faculty
The staff members pleaded their helplessness in arranging such a huge sum overnight and asked the ‘Minister’ to excuse them. The petrified faculty spent a sleepless night wondering if the caller would call again.
He didn’t. Next morning they reportedly tried to verify the number and found that though it was a Delhi number, it was not from the minister or his office.
They heaved a sigh of relief and dismissed the event as a mischief by some miscreant till the Nimhans director returned and he was apprised of the call and the demand for money. He approached the Union Health Ministry and informed them about it.
To his surprise, he was told that a call, of a “similar” nature was reportedly made on that night to the National Tuberculosis Institute, Bangalore.
The Health Ministry has taken a serious note of the “fake” calls made to premier health institutes using the Health Minister’s name and has asked for a detailed enquiry into the matter.
Complaint lodged
Following the Health Ministry’s directions, Nimhans has lodged a complaint with the Wilson Garden police station. “We have been informed about the prank call to Nimhans using the Central Minister’s name. We are investigating into the matter,” said a police officer.
The Nimhans director was not available for comments.