An FIR has been lodged against partners of a private firm contracted by the BMC to set up the Jumbo Covid centre at Worli and Dahisar.
The FIR was lodged by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya at Azad Maidan police station on Wednesday, alleging that the company had gotten the contract with the help of forged documents. The FIR has named four partners of M/S Lifeline Hospital Management Services Firm. Somaiya further alleged that Lifeline Hospital Management Services firm did not have any experience of providing any medical or health facility.
The complaint has been registered under various sections of IPC including criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, forgery of valuable security, forgery for the purpose of cheating, causing death by negligence and common intention. Those named in the FIR are Dr Hemant Ramsharan Gupta, Sujit Mukund Patkar, Sanjay Madanlal Shah, Raju Nandakumar Salunkhe.
According to the FIR, during the COVID period of 2020, Somaiya noticed that people were complaining about poor services in COVID centres. At that time, a TV journalist had died due to Corona in Pune, thereafter, Pune Municipal Corporation and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) jointly conducted an inquiry into the firm.
PMRDA had seized a security amount worth Rs 25 lakh of the firm. In the inquiry, it was revealed that the firm has no experience of providing medical related services to anyone. They don't have any adequate staff, and they have junior doctors instead of M.D. doctors. They also allegedly violated conditions of contract.
PMRDA had issued directions that no one should give contracts to the M/S Lifeline Hospital Management Services Firm. The BMC had awarded the said company a contract to provide services in Mumbai's Jumbo Covid centers.The firm had concealed the fact from the BMC.
Somaiya alleged in the FIR that the partnership firm had not been registered. Partnership deeds which have been submitted to the BMC are allegedly forged and fake. The said firm has got a contract for Worli and Dahisar jumbo COVID centres. The said firm has received Rs 38 crore from BMC. Apart from that, the firm has also received a letter of acceptance from the BMC to run Covid Centres at Mahalaxmi and Mulund.
