In a legal notice to trustees Charu Mehta and Prabodh Mehta, the public sector lender has sought a fresh mandate from them if it were to operate the accounts.
Amid simmering dispute among the trustees of the Lilavati Hospital, the Union Bank of India has threatened to freeze its accounts and that of the trust even as the managing trustee today warned that the consequences of any such move would solely rest with the bank.
In a legal notice to trustees Charu Mehta and Prabodh Mehta, the public sector lender has sought a fresh mandate from them if it were to operate the accounts.
The bank has already frozen the fixed deposit accounts of the trust that runs the multi-speciality hospital at Bandra area of the metropolis.
"In view of the diverse and contradictory instructions being given to us by the group of trustees, we have already frozen the fixed deposit accounts of the trust," the bank said in the legal notice dated April 11.
It also warned of freezing all the accounts within seven days.
Managing trustee Niket Mehta in a legal notice sent to the bank dated April 16, said, "freezing of the accounts would have damaging consequences not only on the functioning of hospital but also would endanger the lives of patients, and the bank will be liable for any claims or liabilities generated."
Mehta, however, said he is yet to get a formal communication from the bank but has written to the bank based on media reports to the effect.
The bank notice has also given trustees time till April 18 to resolve their differences, failing which it would be forced to freeze the other accounts as well as that of the hospital.
When contacted, Union Bank chairman and managing director MV Nair refused to acknowledge or deny any such development saying the matter is sub-judice.
However, a copy of the legal notice sent by the bank's lawyers is available with PTI.
The bank was also provoked by the Supreme Court's intervention in the alleged money laundering by some of the trustees of the Rs 900-crore Lilavati Hospital and some unnamed bank officials.
Recently, while hearing a petition, the apex court asked the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the allegations against a group of trustees of the premium hospital along with some bankers for allegedly stashing money abroad.
The bank has asked the warring trustees to sit together and iron out their differences within a week and seek a fresh mandate to run the hospital, failing which it would be forced to freeze the accounts of both the trust as well as the hospital.
The bank further said it has already moved the Charity Commissioner, which governs the trust, and raised the issues dogging the hospital.
Niket Mehta in his legal notice has warned the bank that freezing of the accounts and closing the counter at the hospital will lead to a chaotic situation there.
Since the Union Bank counter is used by the patients to pay bills and admission charges, stoppage of this facility would automatically disrupt hospital services, he pointed out.
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