The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on July 17 issued a show-cause notice to Sahyadri Hospital after it struck a deal estimated at ₹6,400 crore with Manipal Hospitals. The notice sought clarification on how the deal would affect the ownership of the land in Deccan, on which Sahyadri built a charitable hospital, as well as the health services offered to patients in need.
The controversy stems from the deal made by Sahyadri Hospitals to transfer ownership from global investor Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to Manipal Hospitals. The Sahyadri Hospital at Deccan stands on prime land leased by the PMC. Activists allege that the land was quietly transitioned from public-charitable use to private profit without scrutiny or transparency.
Vijay Khumbhar, a noted RTI activist, raised concerns and demanded transparency. “This is a clear case of public land being used to build private empires. There has been no accountability, no transparency, and certainly no benefit given to the poor patients it was meant to serve. In 1998, PMC leased a prominent plot in Deccan Gymkhana to Konkan Mitra Mandal Medical Trust, headed by renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charudatta Apte, for the purpose of running a charitable hospital. However, in over two decades, not a single PMC-referred patient has reportedly been treated at the facility. Today, that hospital is being operated by Sahyadri Hospitals Pvt. Ltd., a private hospital chain that has changed ownership multiple times—from Everstone Capital to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, and now Manipal Hospitals Group—all while operating on land meant for public welfare.”
Background Details
In 1996, Dr Charudatta Apte got associated with Sahyadri Hospital.
Two years later, in 1998, PMC leased a prime Deccan Gymkhana plot to Konkan Mitra Mandal Medical Trust for charitable healthcare services. Over the years, Sahyadri Hospitals’ ownership has been changed multiple times—first to Everstone Capital, then to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, and now to Manipal Hospitals Group.
A health activist, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed, "The PMC’s original resolution to allot that land was revoked in 1996. Yet, somehow, the same land was leased again in 1998. Who approved this? Was it even legal? The trust still claims to be fulfilling its charitable services. But if PMC never referred a patient, who exactly are they treating? And on what terms?"
What is the controversy?
The Sahyadri Hospital at Deccan stands on prime land—Plot No. 30, Erandwane, measuring 1,976 sqm—leased by the PMC to Konkan Mitra Mandal Medical Trust at a token rent of Re 1 per sq m per year for 99 years, under a legally binding lease agreement dated February 27, 1998. The lease was issued for the express purpose of providing affordable medical services to the underprivileged. However, the controversy stems from the fact that the land originally leased for charitable healthcare has now become the foundation of a ₹6,400 crore private hospital empire.
How is Actress Radhika Apte involved in the controversy?
Dr. Charudatta Apte, who has simultaneously served as a trustee of the Konkan Mitra Mandal and as the Managing Director of Sahyadri Hospitals Pvt. Ltd. from 1996 to 2023, is central to the debate. His daughter, actress Radhika Apte, has also served as a trustee of the same trust, prompting allegations of a family-controlled operation that blurs the line between charity and corporate gain.
Activists are now demanding a full-scale investigation and public disclosure of all agreements. They are calling for the seizure and publication of all MoUs and land lease documents, as well as disclosure of all hospital ownership transfer records and official correspondence related to the land.
RTI findings further reveal that the PMC originally revoked the resolution to allot the land in 1996. Yet the same land was mysteriously leased again in 1998. “How was this possible? Who authorised it? Was due legal process followed?” activists ask.
“This isn’t just about one hospital or one trust — this is about setting a precedent. Public land cannot be treated as private property, and charitable intent cannot be converted into corporate profit unchecked,” said the health activist.
With Manipal Hospitals now taking over the Sahyadri group, the spotlight is firmly on how public land meant for the healthcare of the underprivileged has been transformed into a high-value corporate asset, without ever fulfilling its original mandate.
