COVID jumbo centres scam: Patkar used Sanjay Raut's card to meet BMC officials, says ED

Businessman Sujit Patkar, accused of money laundering, allegedly used the reference of his friend Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut to meet additional municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal during the pandemic to discuss Worli Covid jumbo hospital tenders for Dahisar and Worli, in Maharashtra, the Enforcement Directorate said in a chargesheet filed in a special court. 

The probe agency claimed that Patkar submitted a letter on the letterhead of Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) to IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal, before the formation of his company. "As he (Jaiswal) was not available, Mr Patkar had used Mr Sanjay Raut's name as a reference for him (Mr Sanjeev Jaiswal) to seek a response," the chargesheet read. 

Meanwhile, Patkar claimed that he didn't ask Sanjay Raut for any favour. However, Raut knew that Patkar is associated with LHMS and applying for tender of jumbo Covid centres. The ED chargesheet said, "Due to his (Patkar's) proximity to a politically exposed person, he managed to gather prior information about the tender process. Thereafter, he along with other partners set up their firm LHMS so the tender could be awarded in favour of their firm."

"The said firm despite being a new company established on 26.06.2020 and possessed no experience of providing medical services, the tender got allotted to the firm," the chargesheet reads. The federal probe agency mentioned that it's continuing its investigation "into specific roles of other accomplices".

LHMC irregularities in COVID services  

Amid the pandemic, LHMS was responsible for supplying healthcare personnel and physicians to BMC's Dahisar and Worli jumbo Covid centres. It allegedly submitted bills that were inflated, despite providing approximately 60 per cent fewer healthcare staff, jeopardizing the well-being of COVID-19 patients.

Further, it allegedly submitted invoices on a day when the Dahisar Jumbo centre was non-operational due to Cyclone Tauktae, leading to the relocation of all patients to other hospitals. Junior staff members and the newly appointed dean (who took over from the accused Dr. Kishor Bisure) raised these concerns with senior BMC officials, but no action was taken, and LHMS faced only a penalty of Rs 31 lakh.