THE ECONOMIC Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police has taken custody of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s close aide Sujit Patkar, 46, in connection with its ongoing probe into the Covid-19 jumbo centres scam.
Patkar was arrested last month by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case of the same scam.
After that he was sent in judicial custody. Now EOW has taken his custody, confirmed an EOW official on Thursday.
Patkar allegedly orchestrated and effected a fraud amounting to Rs 31.84 crore by obtaining a tender for Lifeline Management Services, in which he was a partner.
After being arrested in the case, Patkar was produced in the court and remanded to EOW’s custody for five days.
The case
EOW’s case is related to the setting up of field hospitals by the state government in Mumbai during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was tasked with providing healthcare staff and other facilities on a contract basis.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had first filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police, alleging that contracts were given at exorbitant rates to contractors linked to Shiv Sena leaders though they did not have prior experience in healthcare services.
Based on the complaint, Azad Maidan police first registered a case in August 2022. Later in November 2022, it was transferred to EOW, which arrested two people in the case and also filed a chargesheet.
Patkar managed to secure interim relief in the case. However, his anticipatory bail was later rejected in the matter.
The ED took cognisance of the case registered by the Mumbai Police’s EOW and began its probe into the alleged jumbo Covid centres scam and arrested Patkar.
Patkar is one of the four partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) that was awarded the contract to run Covid-19 jumbo centres in Worli and Dahisar.
The probe
According to ED sources, LHMS received Rs 31,84,71,634 from the BMC for supply of medical personnel to Covid centers. Investigation has revealed huge discrepancies in the attendance sheets and documents submitted by LHMS to BMC.
When ED sent letters to the doctors, nurses and staffs reportedly engaged in the jumbo Covid centres of Lifeline Hospital Management Services, most of these letters were returned to the postal authorities.
Some of the doctors or staff submitted in their replies that they never worked in the Covid centres, the ED said.
According to the financial probe agency, the medical personnel stated that they appeared for interviews and submitted their personal records to Lifeline Hospital Management Services.
Some of the doctors or staff told the ED that they worked for a short period but their attendance were shown for longer periods.
On the instructions of Sujit Patkar and other partners of the firm, the staff of Lifeline Hospital Management Services submitted their attendance in bills, which were fabricated, and the same were submitted to the BMC, said the ED.
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According to the ED, the bills showed that regular employee or staff were providing services in the jumbo Covid centres in Dahisar and NSCI Worli, despite huge under-deployment in the range of 50-60 per .
Patkar used to handle liasioning with BMC officials and played a key role in the process of allotment of contract of manpower supply to the jumbo Covid centres at Dahisar and Worli to Lifeline Management Services, the ED said.
According to the agency, after they scrutinised bank accounts, it was evident that Sujit Patkar received a substantial amount from the said funds, with a mere investment of Rs 12,500 at the time of incorporation of firm and its establishment, within a short span of time.
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