Patkar was arrested by the ED in this case in July this year. He allegedly orchestrated and effected a fraud amounting to Rs 31.84 crore by obtaining a tender for Lifeline Management Services in which he was a partner.

The Covid jumbo centres scam : ED Attaches Assets Belonging To Sanjay Raut’s Aide Sujit Patkar.

The case is related to the setting up of field hospitals by the Maharashtra government in Mumbai during the Covid-19 pandemic, where the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was tasked with providing healthcare staff and other facilities on a contract basis.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had first filed a complaint in this regard with the Mumbai police, alleging that contracts were given at exorbitant rates to contractors linked to Shiv Sena leaders though they did not have prior experience in healthcare services.

Based on the complaint, the Azad Maidan police first registered a case in August 2022. Later in November 2022, it was transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) which arrested two people in the case and also filed a chargesheet.

Patkar managed to secure interim relief in the case. However, his anticipatory bail was later rejected in the matter.

The ED took cognisance of the case registered by the Mumbai Police’s EOW and began its probe into the alleged jumbo Covid-19 centres scam and arrested Patkar in August.

Patkar is one of the four partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) that was awarded the contract to run Covid-19 jumbo centres in Worli and Dahisar.

The probe

According to ED sources, LHMS received Rs 31,84,71,634 from the BMC for supply of medical personnel to Covid centres. Investigation has revealed huge discrepancies in the attendance sheets and documents submitted by LHMS to BMC.

On the instructions of Sujit Patkar and other partners of the firm, the staff of LHMS submitted doctors’ attendance in bills, which were fabricated, and the same were submitted to the BMC, said the ED.

According to the central agency, the bills showed that regular employees or staff were providing services in the jumbo Covid-19 centres in Dahisar and NSCI Worli, despite huge under-deployment in the range of 50-60 per cent.

Patkar used to handle liaisoning with BMC officials and played a key role in the process of allotment of contract of manpower supply to the jumbo Covid centres at Dahisar and Worli to LHMS, the ED said.

According to the agency, after they scrutinised bank accounts, it was evident that Sujit Patkar received a substantial amount from the said funds, with a mere investment of Rs 12,500 at the time of incorporation of the firm and its establishment, within a short span of time.