On June 21, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 15 places in Mumbai and adjoining areas concerning its probe into the alleged money laundering, which is related to the Covid centres scam, which is estimated to be around Rs 100 crore. In this alleged scam, irregularities were reported while awarding the contracts for running Covid centres in the city.
As per the reports, ED conducted searches at 14 locations in Mumbai and one premise outside the city. The ED conducted searches at the premises of businessman Sujit Patkar who is a family friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.
The ED also conducted raids at several locations related to officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and at other individuals which included IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal in connection with the irregularities while awarding healthcare contracts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Jaiswal was the former additional municipal commissioner of BMC.
In this regard, ED officials also raided the Chembur residence of Suraj Chavan, the personal assistant of Aaditya Thackeray, the son of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Per the officials involved in the case, Patkar and his three associates fraudulently got Mumbai civic body contracts during the pandemic to manage Covid-19 field hospitals.
The raids happened after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered a special investigation team to investigate the alleged irregularities of over Rs 12,000 crore of the work done by BMC. These irregularities came forward after the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
About the alleged Covid centres scam, last year in August, an FIR (First Information Report) of forgery was filed at Azad Maidan police station, Mumbai, against Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) and its partners: Sujit Patkar, Hemant Gupta, Sanjay Shah and Raju Salunkhe. In the report, they are accused of fraudulently acquiring BMC contracts to set up Covid field hospitals during the pandemic.
After the FIR, the case was transferred by police to Economic Offences Wing to investigate the allegations of cheating and forgery. Thereafter, ED lodged the case of money laundering and started its investigation.
In this regard, in January 2023, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal appeared before the ED. The investigative agency asked about irregularity in awarding the contracts during the pandemic. As per the allegations, BMC gave contracts to LHMS at higher rates, despite knowing that LHMS is an unregistered firm with no experience in the healthcare sector.
Furthermore, senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya lodged an FIR in Pune against LHMS and its partner Sujit Patkar for committing cheating and forgery on April 10. Somaiya alleges that LHMS fraudulently got the contract for the Covid field hospital in Shivajinagar, Pune, in 2020 from Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority without prior healthcare experience. He also alleged that LHMS got this contract after submitting forged documents.
Somaiya stated, “I have found out from media reports that the properties owned by the company of Sanjay Raut’s partner Sujit Patkar and those of Mr Patkar’s partners are being raided in connection with the Rs 100-crore Covid centre scam. Hisab to dena hi hoga (an account must be given)”.
When asked about the raids, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated, “I am not aware what proceedings are on. A scam has come to the fore regarding the Covid centres built by the BMC. Shocking information that is coming in points to the centres being run by companies with no experience. They have played with people’s lives” in Marathi. When Fadnavis was asked about Suraj Chavan, he said, “I believe raids must be on against people connected to the scam”.
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