I will fully cooperate, says BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on ED summons

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued notices to BMC chief Iqbal Singh Chahal and other civic officials, seeking details of the alleged illegal award of contracts to Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) during the Covid-19 pandemic. The medical services provider was contracted by BMC to provide services in Jumbo Covid Centres, allegedly causing a loss of ₹38 crore to the BMC coffers.

Reacting on the summons, Chahal said, "I will fully cooperate. The show has to go on." In August last year, an FIR was registered following a complaint lodged by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya against four partners of LHMS, including Sujit Mukund Patkar, a family friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. The others named in the FIR were Dr Hemant Ramsharan Gupta, Sanjay Madanlal Shah and Raju Nandkumar Salunkhe. In October 2022, the investigation of the case was transferred to the EOW.

In his complaint, Somaiya alleged that LHMS was given the contract to set up two Jumbo Covid Centres – one at Dahisar and the other at Worli – though it did not have any experience in providing healthcare facilities or medical services. The firm got the contract on the basis of forged documents, including its partnership deed, he alleged.The BJP leader also alleged that the firm was blacklisted by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority but it concealed this fact from the BMC and managed to get the contract for providing services to Jumbo Covid Centres.