Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a 75-page chargesheet in a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in the case of alleged irregularities at jumbo Covid centres during the pandemic. The chargesheet names several persons as the accused, including Sujit Patkar, a partner in Life Line Hospital and Management Services, and Dr Kishor Bisure, the dean of Dahisar jumbo facility.
Information in charge sheet
The chargesheet contains detailed information about the alleged financial irregularities in invoicing while under-deploying medical staff at the centres and how funds were diverted from the proceeds of crime to bank accounts of the accused for personal expenses or investment in mutual funds. Patkar is also accused of submitting fake attendance records of medical staff and invoicing their emoluments without proper records, besides allegedly bribing municipal officials to clear fraudulent bills.
He received monetary benefits from the BMC and distributed some of these proceeds to civic officials. Out of significant proceeds of crime (Rs32.5 crore), a portion was diverted into his bank account (Rs2.81 crore) from November 2020 to October 2022, which he allegedly used to repay personal loans and other expenses.
In the alleged irregularities in the functioning of jumbo Covid centres during the pandemic, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a 75-page chargesheet in a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court. The chargesheet names several persons as the accused, including Sujit Patkar, a partner in Lifeline Hospital and Management Services, along with other partners Hemant Gupta, Sanjay Shah, Rajiv Salunkhe, Arvind Singh and Dr Kishor Bisure (the dean of Dahisar jumbo facility).
Role played by accused
It contains detailed information about the alleged financial irregularities, money laundering activities and the roles played by each of the accused. According to the chargesheet, Patkar, a partner in M/s Lifeline Hospital Management Services, has been accused of criminal activities related to obtaining a government contract for the supply of medical staff to Covid-19 facilities. It is alleged that he conspired with other partners and officials to secure the contract and subsequently under-deployed medical staff, putting patients lives at risk.
Patkar is also accused of submitting fake attendance records, invoices without proper records and bribing municipal officials to clear fraudulent bills. He received monetary benefits from the municipal authorities and distributed some of these proceeds to BMC officials. A significant amount of money from the proceeds of crime (totalling to Rs32.5 crore) was diverted into his personal bank account (Rs2.81 crore) from November 2020 to October 2022, which he allegedly used to repay personal loans and other expenses.
Dean of Dahisar jumbo Covid facility is also accused
As per the chargesheet, Dr Kishore Bisure served as the dean of the Dahisar jumbo Covid facility but allegedly neglected his responsibilities for personal financial gain. He allegedly colluded with the partners of M/s Lifeline Hospital Management Services and allowed irregularities, endangering the lives of Covid-19 patients. He is accused of approving fraudulent bills based on fake attendance records provided by M/s Lifeline.
Despite being aware of these irregularities, he instructed his subordinates to ignore the issue of under deployment of medical staff. He is alleged to have received proceeds of crime in the form of cash and valuable items from M/s Lifeline, as well as in his drivers bank account, totalling to nearly Rs20 lakh, which he used for his personal expenses.
Dr Hemant Gupta, a partner of M/s Lifeline, is accused of participating in a conspiracy with other partners to under-deploy medical staff at jumbo Covid centres and create fake attendance records, all for personal financial gains. He is alleged to have failed to have attended to patients and was falsely listed in attendance records with forged signatures.
A part of the proceeds of crime were diverted to his personal bank account, which he allegedly used to invest in mutual funds and other expenses. He also diverted some of the proceeds to another firm but later returned them to M/s Lifeline after the fraudulent activities were exposed. He is accused of actively participating in meetings where partners conspired to clear invoices with fake attendance sheets and allegedly bribed BMC officials. Sanjay Shah, another partner of M/s Lifeline, had a 20% shareholding in the firm, and also played a crucial role in the conspiracy.
