BMC Oxygen Plant Fraud: EOW Files Chargesheet Against Contractor Romil Chheda

Mumbai Police’s Economics Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a 4,000-page chargesheet against Romil Chheda who was arrested in connection with fraud in contracts related to setting up oxygen plants during Covid-19 and causing a loss of Rs6 crore to the civic body.

Chheda was arrested by the EOW in November 2023, after a case was registered against him at Nagpada police station.

Details of case

The BMC awarded Chheda the contract to build oxygen generation plants at several Mumbai-based hospitals and also the jumbo Covid centres. Chheda is an authorised representative of the Highway Construction Company, based in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

As per the recent updates, Chheda is currently in judicial custody and EOW officials have prepared a 4,000-page chargesheet in the matter that includes all the forged paperwork by him and his associates used to scam the BMC during the pandemic.

According to police officials, the contract was granted to Chheda despite his ineligibility for the tender. After the work began, he and his accomplices allegedly produced fake and forged reports that indicated competition of work in August 2021, while the work was not complete until October 2021. Along with Chheda, the contractor who awarded him the contract was also booked. By this, BMC allegedly suffered a total loss of Rs6 crore. As per the contract, the work was supposed to be completed in 30 days or the contractor will be fined 1% of the contract amount for every week of delay. Chheda was fined Rs3.16 crore for the delay, but investigations revealed that the fine amount should have been Rs6 crore.

Along with the EOW, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also registered a case of money laundering concerning the alleged fraud in setting up oxygen plants in hospitals during the pandemic. The case was registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.