The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Saturday conducted an interrogation with Ramakant Biradar, the then Deputy Municipal Commissioner of BMC, regarding the body bag scam case that transpired during the pandemic. An EOW official reported that Biradar's statement had been duly recorded and is now undergoing verification. If necessary, he might be summoned for further questioning.
Ramakant Biradar, who held the position of Deputy Municipal Commissioner for BMC's Zone-2, arrived at the EOW head office located at the Mumbai Police Headquarters around 11 am. Over the course of this interaction, EOW officials meticulously recorded his statement, spanning from 11 am to 6 pm.
Biradar, previously responsible for BMC's central procurement department during the pandemic, was summoned to provide his account before the EOW officials.
This development arises following the recent registration of an FIR by the EOW against former BMC Mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar, along with Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), former Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Purchase/CPD), private contractor Vedanta Innotech Pvt Ltd (VIPL), and other government officials. These individuals are implicated in an alleged scam involving the procurement of body bags at inflated prices during the pandemic.
Approximately two months ago, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), engaged in probing various alleged irregularities related to BMC's functioning during the Covid pandemic period, had also recorded the statement of Ramakant Biradar.
