13 touts arrested from AIIMS-Bhubaneswar

Thirteen people were arrested from the campus of the AIIMS-Bhubaneswar on Friday for allegedly taking money from gullible patients and their families by promising faster treatment, police said.

The touts were taking advantage of the rush at AIIMS-Bhubaneswar where people from across Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal and Jharkhand visit for treatment, they said.

''We have arrested 13 people, some of whom are from West Bengal, on the charge of extorting money from patients for tokens required to get treatment at the hospital,'' said Khandagiri police station's inspector-in-charge Dayanidhi Nayak.

Initially, 20 people were detained, and 13 of them were arrested after preliminary interrogation, he said.

Police said a racket was at work at the hospital, and a hunt is on for its mastermind.

Patients from West Bengal were being trapped by Bengali-speaking touts who used to charge Rs 4,000-5,000 for registration and other assistance, police said.

AIIMS-Bhubaneswar director Asutosh Biswas said, ''This is not the first instance. Some people were arrested earlier as well. We have decided to strengthen the security and hand over such persons to the police.'' PTI AAM SOM SOM