4 min readMumbaiJun 26, 2023 01:28 PM IST
First published on: Jun 22, 2023 at 07:14 PM IST
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigating the alleged Rs 38-crore Covid jumbo centres scam has revealed that a key company that was supplying body bags for dead Covid-19 patients had supplied the bags to BMC at Rs 6,800 per piece, which was over three times than what it charged from others, including private hospitals, during the same period.
The agency’s probe has also revealed that besides senior BMC officials, then Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, too, allegedly played an important role and it is on her instructions that the contract was given to the said entity, now under scanner. Officials hinted that the agency may soon summon Pednekar to join the investigation. The source, however, declined to divulge the name of the entity as the investigation is still on.
Officials also said that medicines, including Remdesivir, used to treat Covid-19 treatment in BMC-operated hospitals, too, were purchased at 25-30 per cent higher rates than the market prices. Even after the gross irregularities were pointed out, the purchase same continued at the insistence of senior officials of the BMC, the source said.
The investigation also revealed that in Lifeline Jumbo Covid Centre, the actual deployment of doctors and medical staff was 60-65 per cent short of the deployment shown in the billing made to BMC.
According to the source, for billing purpose, the company provided names of doctors who were not working/employed by the respective centres of Lifeline Jumbo Covid Centre.
The names of more than 200 doctors were falsely used for misappropriation of funds, the source said. The official added that during its investigation, the ED contacted these doctors via email and recorded their statements.
A team of Enforcement Directorate at BMC’s Central Purchase Department office situated in Byculla West. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)
The agency’s raids at 15 locations on Wednesday, on the premises of suspected individuals linked to the alleged scam has led to the seizure of documents of 50 properties worth more than Rs 150 crore, fixed deposits and investments of Rs 15 crore, Rs 68.65 lakh in cash and jewellery worth Rs 2.46 crore. The ED sleuths have also seized over a dozen mobile phones along with several electronic devices such as laptops, etc. and various incriminating records, documents.
On Wednesday, ED held searches on the Chembur residence of Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aaditya Thackerey, and the Santacruz residence of Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
The agency also searched the Bandra residence of IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal—a former additional municipal commissioner of the BMC—and deputy municipal commissioner Ramakant Biradar, who was the head of the Central Purchase Department of the BMC during the pandemic.
Lifeline Hospital Management Services in Sasmira Marg, Worli, as well as suppliers of oxygen concentrators and other equipment, contractors and middlemen involved in the alleged scam were also searched.
The ED has almost covered their probe at the irregularities linked to Lifeline Hospital Management Services in Sasmira Marg, Worli, a partnership firm of Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut. Now the agency is focusing on various branches of money laundering emerging from this firm.
On Thursday, the search operations continued at four locations in and outside Mumbai, focusing mainly on properties linked to the suspected senior BMC officials.
The agency also summoned Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Sanjeev Jaiswal for questioning, however, he sought time.
As a part of their money laundering investigation into the alleged Covid jumbo centres scam, a team of Enforcement Directorate on Thursday visited BMC's Central Purchase Department office situated in Byculla West to examine and collect purchase documents pertaining to contracts sanctioned during Covid -19. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty) 
A team of Enforcement Directorate at BMC’s Central Purchase Department office situated in Byculla West. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)
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