Remdesevir injections scam: EOW summons contractor close to Aaditya Thackeray

The EOW in November had registered an FIR in connection with the irregularities in purchase of Remdesivir injections on inflated rates.

During the Covid period, Remdesivir injection, which was priced at Rs 650 per vial, was allegedly purchased for Rs 1,568. (File)

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police on Wednesday questioned Punyashali Parikh, believed to be a friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray to check his involvement in alleged fraud in supply of Remdesevir injection during Covid pandemic.

Parikh was questioned for more than six hours. He is a friend of Aditya Thackeray and was present in an important meeting held by then mayor with regards to awarding of contacts for procuring Remdesevir injections. His name was surfaced in the questionning of one of the key accused of the case. To know for what purpose he attended the said meetingz he was questioned today. A senior EOW officer confirmed the development to The Indian Express.

A senior EOW officer confirmed the development to The Indian Express. The EOW in November had registered an FIR in connection with the irregularities in purchase of Remdesivir injections on inflated rates. Officials from the central purchase department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the contractor who supplied the injections were booked on fraud charges.

The FIR mentioned a fraud of Rs 5.96 crore. The EOW is also checking whether the financial irregularities are linked to any political leader or their frontmen.

EOW Sales Tax unit’s officer Nitin Unavane is the complainant in the case. A senior EOW officer confirmed that unidentified officials from BMC’s central purchase department and directors of firm Mylan Laboratories have been booked under sections 406, 409, 420 120, 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

During the Covid period, Remdesivir injection which was priced at Rs 650 per vial was purchased for Rs 1,568. As many as 65,000 such injections were purchased on inflated rates.

No documents to show that 9,000 Remdesivir received

Mylan Laboratories was awarded the contract to supply 28,000 vials of Remdesivir. The contract was awarded by the municipal corporation on April 7, 2021. Mylan Laboratory had bid for it at Rs 650.75 per vial. Only 19,000 vials have been provided. But no records were found regarding the supply of the remaining 9,000 vials, the complaint states. Subsequently, the same company was awarded the contract at Rs 1,568 per vial.

ED first detected irregularities in BMC’s Covid spendings

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The financial irregularities in the purchase of Remdesivir injections surfaced when the Enforcement Directorate was carrying out a thorough investigation in connection with the money laundering in BMC in their spending in the operations of Covid jumbo centres.

The ED detected irregularities worth Rs 4,000 crore and then wrote to EOW highlighting these gross irregularities. Following this, preliminary enquiries were initiated into it. After the PE concluded that a congnisable offence was committed, an FIR was lodged by EOW.

The ED has also registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) in the matter to probe the money laundering in the said irregularities involving purchase of Remdesivir injections on inflated rates, sources said.

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