Indian Administrative Service officer Sanjeev Jaiswal on Friday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) office in Mumbai in the money laundering case related to the alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for running jumbo COVID centres during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Mr. Jaiswal, the then Additional Municipal Commissioner of the BMC, was summoned by the ED to join the investigation. So far eight people have recorded their statements with the Central agency in the case. On June 21, the ED had raided 15 locations of Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Sanjay Raut, member of Parliament of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and partner of Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LMHS) that was given the contracts by Mumbai’s civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, for setting up four jumbo COVID centres.
The premises of Suraj Chavan, a personal assistant of Uddhav Thackeray and some contractors and middlemen were also searched. Last week, the ED seized ₹68.65 lakh in cash and recovered documents of 50 immovable properties located at various places in Maharashtra, fixed deposits and investments worth ₹15 crore, and jewellery worth ₹2.46 crore.
The ED’s case is based on allegations and First Information Report filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in August 2022. The complaint named four partners of the LMHS, including Mr. Patkar. Mr. Somaiya has alleged that the hospital management had got contracts by the BMC to provide services in jumbo COVID centres, allegedly causing a loss of ₹38 crore to the BMC. As per Mr. Somaiya, the LHMS was given the contract to set up two COVID centres at Dahisar and at Worli though it did not have any experience in providing healthcare facilities.
