BJP says 'Sanjay Raut's partner' Sujit Patkar booked for forgery in COVID Centre tender

Trouble has mounted for Sujit Patkar, an alleged close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, as a case of forgery and cheating, has been lodged against Patkar's firm Eternal Healthcare Management Service Ltd and its partners for allegedly providing fake documents to get the tenders for BMC COVID Centre, according to BJP.

According to BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, Mumbai's Marine Line Police Station on January 13 registered a case against Sujit Patkar's firm and its partners under sections 465, 468, 471 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Along with Patkar's Eternal Healthcare Management Service Ltd, Sandeep Harishankar Gupta and Yogesh Ullengla (Patkar's partner) have been listed as accused in the FIR lodged at the Marine Line Police Station, according to Somaiya.

The complaint states that the accused defrauded the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) of the Government of India by submitting forged documents and using forged documents as genuine ones, Somaiya said in a statement. Notably, earlier in August 2022, a case was also registered at Azad Maidan Police Station against Sujit Patkar and others on the complaint of Somaiya in connection with an alleged COVID Center scam.

FIR against Patkar and others in alleged COVID scam

In the FIR filed by Kirit Somaiya in August 2022, the BJP leader has named the Lifeline Hospital management services, Hemant Gupta, Sanjay Shah and Raju Salunkhe along with Sujit Patkar in connection with the alleged scam. The BJP leader alleged that the accused cheated the Mumbai civic body and obtained contracts for COVID-19 centres at Worli, Mulund, Dahisar and other places without any experience in the medical field with the help of fake documents.

According to the FIR filed by Kirit Somaiya, the accused cheated the government and common citizens for their own gain. It further alleged that doctors and staffers at the COVID-19 centres that were run by these accused, did not have medical certificates and reportedly due to this many people lost their lives.

As per the FIR, the accused had submitted bills of these COVID-19 centres to the BMC and collected Rs 38 crore. Notably, the police have registered a case against Patkar and the other four under Sections 420 (cheating), 406, 465, 467, 468, 471, 304-A (causing death by negligence) and 34 of the Indian Penal code (IPC).

It is pertinent to mention that Sujit Patkar is the husband of Sapna Patkar who is a witness in the Patra Chawl scam case, a case in which ED had arrested Sanjay Raut.