Mumbai: Raids Continue in Probe of Money Laundering Case Linked to BMC Covid Jumbo Center Scam

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued raids for the second day in a row, probing a money laundering case in the civic Covid Jumbo Center scam. The ED team raided the residence of the then Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Medical Officer, Harish Rathore, and the then Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Ramakant Biradar, on Thursday morning. Apart from that, searches were conducted at the civic Central Purchase Department (CPD) situated in Byculla, South Mumbai, to examine purchase documents related to the contract awarded and payments made during the COVID pandemic.

Irregularities were detected in the supply of medicines to BMC for Covid-19 patients, inflated by 25-30 per cent higher than the open market rates in the contract signed by the mayor. Another contract to supply body bags for deceased Covid-19 patients to the BMC Central Procurement Department at Rs 6,800 was given for Rs 2,000 to other private hospitals.

Irregularities found in COVID Jumbo Centres

According to the ED probe, several irregularities were found in the COVID Jumbo Centres regarding the actual deployment of doctors and medical staff, which was 60 to 65 percent less than what was shown in the billing made to the BMC.

The ED raided the premises of several BMC officials, including senior IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal, contractors close to the Thackeray family, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday. The searches, conducted at 15 locations in Mumbai, were linked to Aditya Thackeray's close aide Suraj Chavan, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's business partner Sujit Patkar, Sanjay Shah, Nitin Gurav, and the then Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal.

The searches resulted in the seizure of cash amounting to Rs 68.65 lakh, documents of over 50 immovable properties with an estimated market value of Rs 150 crore across Maharashtra, fixed deposits of Rs 15 crore, jewelry items worth Rs 2.46 crore, several electronic devices such as mobile phones and laptops, and several incriminating documents.

IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal's statement recorded

The probe agency recorded the statement of veteran bureaucrat 1996 batch IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal and summoned him to the ED Ballard Estate office to join the investigation of money laundering in the Covid jumbo centre scam. The ED is investigating tenders for the COVID Jumbo Centre at inflated rates awarded to close aides of the ruling Shiv Sena leaders in the MVA regime.

Another team of ED sleuths searched the residence of Suraj Chavan, a core team member of Yuva Sena and a close aide of Aditya Thackeray, in Chembur for 16 hours until half past midnight.

Similarly, the Santacruz residence of Sanjay Raut's business partner Sujit Patkar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ramakant Biradar (who was the head of the BMV Central Purchase Department during the COVID pandemic), the offices of Lifeline Hospital Management Services at Worli, suppliers of oxygen concentrators and other equipment, and contractors and middlemen involved in the COVID jumbo centre scam were also raided.

Recovery at IAS Jaiswal's house

ED found property documents worth crores from the house of IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal currently serving as vice president of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) during searches on Wednesday.

ED found documents related to 24 properties valued at Rs 100 crore and records of fixed deposits of over Rs 15 crore.

Sanjeev Jaiswal has clarified that properties of around Rs 34 crore and the fixed deposits were gifted to his wife by her retired bureaucrat father.