Jumbo COVID-19 centres scam: ED raids 14 premises in Mumbai

The ED on June 21, 2023 conducted raids at 14 locations in Mumbai, including the premises of those close to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, as part of its money-laundering probe related to alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for running jumbo COVID-19 centres during the MVA government in Maharashtra

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday (June 21) conducted raids at 14 locations in Mumbai, including the premises of those close to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, as part of its money-laundering probe related to alleged irregularities in awarding contracts for running jumbo COVID-19 centres during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.

The places being searched include the premises of Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and partner of Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LMHS). The hospital had been given contracts for setting up four jumbo COVID-19 centres in Dahisar, NSEL, Mulund, and Pune.

ED officials confirmed with The Hindu about the raids and said premises of IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, the then Additional Municipal Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation; Suraj Chavan, a personal assistant of Mr. Thackeray and some contractors and middlemen are also being searched. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters gathered at various locations in the city and staged protests against the central agency’s action.

The case is based on a complaint made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya in August 2022, which named four partners of LMHS including Mr. Patkar, alleging that the hospital management had got contracts by BMC to provide services in jumbo COVID-19 centres and that it caused a loss of ₹38 crore to the BMC.

According to Mr. Somaiya, LHMS was given the contract to set up two jumbo COVID-19 centres at Dahisar and Worli though it did not have any experience in providing healthcare facilities. He alleged that the company was blacklisted by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, but it concealed this fact from the BMC and managed to get the contracts.

On January 14 this year, the central agency had issued notices to BMC, its chief Iqbal Singh Chahal and other civic body officials seeking details of the alleged illegal award of contracts to LMHS during the pandemic. On January 16, Mr. Chahal appeared before the ED to record his statement in the case.

Soon thereafter, the Economic Offences Wing also sent out similar notices to BMC’s senior officers.