COVID-19 jumbo centres 'scam': ED surveys Mumbai civic body's Central Purchase Dept

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted a survey at the Mumbai civic body's Central Purchase Department (CPD) in connection with a probe into alleged irregularities in the setting up of `jumbo' COVID treatment facilities in the city, an official said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's CPD is situated in Byculla in south Mumbai.

The ED team went through documents related to tenders and contracts awarded to a firm linked with Sujit Patkar and three partners, the official informed.

As part of the probe, the ED had on Wednesday searched 15 places including the residence of Patkar who is considered to be a close friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.

The other sites that were searched included those connected to Indian Administrative Service officer Sanjeev Jaiswal and Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary Suraj Chavan, officials said.

The Mumbai Police had registered a forgery case against Lifeline Hospital Management Services firm, Patkar, and his three partners in August last year.

Based on the FIR at the Azad Maidan police station in south Mumbai, the ED registered a case to investigate the money laundering angle. Jewellery valued at Rs 2.4 crore and Rs 68 lakh in cash were seized during the survey, an official said. Jaiswal had been summoned for questioning at the ED office situated at Ballard Estate, but he did not appear, the official added. Suraj Chavan and a few others whose premises were raided have been summoned on Monday and the next few days for questioning, he said. Reacting to the development, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra was scared and fighting like cowards.

His party was fighting for democracy in the country which was leading to such retaliatory action by probe agencies of the Union and state governments, the former state minister told reporters.

Action against his close aides was prompted by the 'morcha' (protest march) announced for July 1 by the Shiv Sena (UBT) against alleged corruption in the BMC, Thackeray claimed.

''The government is very scared and they are fighting like cowards by using Central agencies. If you want to fight, we are ready to face the polls, but then they have to come to the battlefield. The country and the world are watching that democracy has been murdered in the state,'' Thackeray said.

He also visited Suraj Chavan during the day.