Covid field hospital scam: ED files chargesheet
economictimes.indiatimes.comED) Friday filed its prosecution complaint ( PC) in the alleged irregularities in awarding the covid field hospital contracts to Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS).
A PC is equivalent to a chargesheet filed by the police under CrPC.
Earlier in July, the ED had arrested Sujit Patkar, a co-partner of LHMS who is also said to be a close aide of Shiv Sena leader (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Sanjay Raut, and Dr Kishore Bisure, dean of the jumbo covidfacility in Dahisar.
According to the ED, LHMS was incorporated with a mere investment of Rs 12,500, received Rs 31.84 crores from the BMC for supply of medical staff to covid centres. The probe found that 50-60 percent of the medical staff, including doctors and paramedics, were non-existent.
LHMS bagged the contract to provide doctors and paramedics to two of the jumbo covid facilities in Mumbai during the pandemic.
“During the course of the probe, letters were delivered to doctors, nurses, who were reportedly engaged by LHMS; they were undelivered to the postal addresses. Some of the doctors/staff in their replies have submitted that they have never worked in these covid centres.
However, they had appeared for interviews and submitted personnel details. On the instruction of Patkar and other partners of the firm, the staff at LHMS submitted their attendance in bills to BMC showing them as regular employee/staff providing services at Dahisar and NSCI (Worli) covid centres,” an earlier court filing by ED’ stated.
In a related development the agency has registered two fresh FIRs in connection with the findings in the C&AG report over alleged irregularities in various contracts awarded during the pandemic by the BMC.
