Mumbai Covid-19 Body Bag Scam: Ex-Mayor Kishori Pednekar Skips ED Summons After Requesting 4-Week Extension

Mumbai Covid-19 Body Bag Scam: Ex-Mayor Kishori Pednekar Skips ED Summons After Requesting 4-Week Extension

In an application, the former Mumbai mayor stated that it would take some time to gather all the required documents, and thus she requested the four-week extension. However, the ED did not provide any official response to her request.

Ashish SinghUpdated: Wednesday, November 08, 2023, 07:37 PM IST
article-image
Kishori Pednekar | Twitter

Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar on Wednesday skipped the summons of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Covid-19 body bag scam. Pednekar had been summoned by the ED for questioning but she contacted ED officials and requested a four-week extension.

Pednekar's lawyer, Rahul Arote, reached the ED office and submitted a written application requesting a four-week extension. In the application, Pednekar stated that it would take some time to gather all the required documents, and thus she requested the four-week extension. However, the ED did not provide any official response to her request.

The Covid-19 body bag scam

In the Covid-19 body bag scam, Pednekar has been accused of influencing the decision of the administrative committee to finalise the tender. According a source in the ED, Pednekar is allegedly involved in inflating the cost of body bags in BMC's procurement. This is based on the Economic Offenses Wing's (EOW) FIR. The investigation by the EOW revealed that two vendors were finalised after the bidding process in April 2020.

The first company, M/S Care Solution, was ready to supply body bags after post-negotiation at a rate of Rs 2,583 per bag. Meanwhile, Pednekar, who was serving as the BMC mayor at the time, allegedly called Haridas Rathod, who was in-charge of the Central Purchase Department, at her bungalow. She instructed him to award the contract to M/s Vedanta Innotech Pvt. Ltd.

Rathod told the EOW that he proposed the purchase order in favour of M/S Care Solution. However, when the company delivered the first batch of 2,000 body bags, they were rejected by BMC officials with no valid reason. Subsequently, the bags were declared unfit.

EOW investigation's findings

The EOW investigation found that until June 2020, an alternative supplier had not been finalised due to various reasons. The BMC began purchasing body bags from M/s Vedanta Innotech Pvt Ltd at the rate of Rs 6,719 per bag, which was over two times what it had charged other private hospitals or government authorities (Rs 2,925 per piece) during the same period.

Pednekar and other BMC officials have been found in a criminal conspiracy. They were entrusted with the use of BMC funds and are alleged to have had dominion over these funds. It is claimed that they hatched a criminal conspiracy to favor M/s Vedanta Innotech Pvt. Ltd.

RECENT STORIES

Shiv Sena UBT-MNS Mumbai Rally Today: Thackeray Cousins To Reunite Against Hindi Imposition At...

Shiv Sena UBT-MNS Mumbai Rally Today: Thackeray Cousins To Reunite Against Hindi Imposition At...

Mumbai Weather Today: IMD Predicts Intense Rainfall For Konkan And Western Maharashtra; Yellow Alert...

Mumbai Weather Today: IMD Predicts Intense Rainfall For Konkan And Western Maharashtra; Yellow Alert...

Mumbai: Gold Ornaments Worth ₹8.81 Lakh Allegedly Stolen From Locker At Canara Bank Branch

Mumbai: Gold Ornaments Worth ₹8.81 Lakh Allegedly Stolen From Locker At Canara Bank Branch

PIL Filed In Bombay High Court Against Prada For Allegedly Copying Kolhapuri Chappals, Seeks Apology

PIL Filed In Bombay High Court Against Prada For Allegedly Copying Kolhapuri Chappals, Seeks Apology

Mumbai News: Dadar Police Arrests Man For Stalking Schoolgirl; Case Registered Under POSCO Act

Mumbai News: Dadar Police Arrests Man For Stalking Schoolgirl; Case Registered Under POSCO Act