BMC Covid Scam: The Mumbai Police on Friday constituted a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe an alleged scam of Rs 12,500 crores during Covid-19 by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
This team will be led by the Mumbai police commissioner, along with Joint Commissioner of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Deputy Commissioner (DCP) and Assistant Commissioner (ACP) of EOW.
A few days ago, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had announced the creation of an SIT to probe the alleged scam.
This comes after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at more than 15 locations of a few BMC officers including Sanjeev Jaiswal, suppliers and IAS officers in Mumbai, the premises of businessman Sujit Patkar, Suraj Chavan and others who are allegedly close aides of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Aaditya Thackeray and Sanjay Raut, in connection with the case.
During the search. the ED seized Rs 68.65 Lakh in cash, documents revealing more than 50 immovable properties (estimated market value of more than Rs 150 crore) across Maharashtra, fixed deposits/investments of Rs 15 crores, jewellery items worth Rs 2.46 core along with several electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops and various incriminating records and documents.
The officials claim that Patkar and his three partners allegedly bagged Mumbai civic body contracts fraudulently for managing COVID-19 field hospitals during the pandemic. The Azad Maidan police station here registered a forgery case against Lifeline Hospital Management Services firm, Patkar and his three partners in August last year.
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