ED Summons Suraj Chavan After Recovering ₹3 Crore Jewellery, Cash

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted raids at over 15 locations in Mumbai in connection with the BMC Covid scam case.

The scam involves alleged irregularities in the establishment of jumbo Covid-19 centers in Mumbai and Pune.

Businessman Sujit Patkar, his partners, and Lifeline Hospital Management Services were booked in a forgery case last year, leading to the ED registering a money laundering case.

During the raids, the ED recovered ₹68.65 lakh in cash and seized documents related to 50 immovable properties across Maharashtra with a market value of over ₹150 crore.

Additionally, fixed deposits and investments worth ₹15 crore, as well as jewelry worth ₹2.46 crore, were also recovered. Mobile phones, laptops, and incriminating documents were among the items seized.

One significant finding during the search was that one company was providing body bags for deceased Covid-19 patients to another company for ₹2,000.

The second company was then selling the same body bags to the Central Procurement Department for ₹6,800. The contract for this transaction was reportedly signed by the then BMC mayor, Kishori Pednekar.

Officials also conducted raids at locations associated with some officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), including IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal. The investigation into the scam has raised concerns about alleged corruption and fraudulent practices within the BMC.

The BMC Covid scam has attracted political attention, with allegations and counter-allegations between parties.

Also Read:- PM Modi’s Visit to US Could Encourage More US Companies to Invest in India

The ruling Eknath Shinde government has accused the Shiv Sena-UBT, which was part of the alliance with the Congress and NCP at the time, of involvement in the scam.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has claimed the scam is worth more than ₹100 crore, while the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing estimates it is nearly ₹38 crore.