COVID-19 Relief Scam: EOW Files Chargesheet in Rs 14.57 Crore Khichdi Case

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Friday filed a chargesheet against eight individuals in connection with the alleged scam related to khichdi distribution carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The accused are alleged to have illegally earned Rs 14.57 crore through manipulation and irregularities in the food distribution scheme.

The case was initially registered based on a complaint filed by Assistant Police Inspector Gopal Lawane of the Crime Branch. According to the chargesheet, the scam took place between April 2020 and July 2020, when the accused conspired to defraud the BMC by supplying khichdi packets that did not meet the prescribed standards.

Among the eight accused named in the chargesheet are partners of M/s Vaishnavi Kitchen/Sahyadri Refreshments—Sunil Ramchandra Kadam alias Bala Kadam, Rajiv Nandkumar Salunkhe, Sujit Mukund Patkar—and partners of Force One Multi Services—Sanjay Chandrakant Mashilkar, Pranjal Sanjay Mashilkar, Pritam Sanjay Mashilkar, Suraj Satish Chavan, and Amol Gajanan Kirtikar.

According to the investigation, the accused supplied khichdi packets weighing only 100 to 200 grams instead of the mandated 300 grams. These underweight packets were procured at a cost of Rs 22–24 each but billed to the BMC at Rs 33 per packet plus GST. This led to a direct loss of Rs 6.27 crore to the civic body.

Further inquiries revealed that Force One Multi Services, through Sanjay Mashilkar and others, had outsourced the actual preparation of khichdi to Sanjay Mali of Sneha Caterers, without informing him about the BMC’s food distribution contract. Mali's food and health licenses were used despite him not being an eligible party to the civic contract. With assistance from Suraj Chavan and Amol Kirtikar, the accused allegedly secured the BMC contract fraudulently.

In an attempt to mislead investigators, the accused reportedly created and submitted forged documents, falsely claiming an agreement for the supply of 300-gram khichdi packets. As a result, additional IPC sections—465, 468, and 471 (pertaining to forgery and use of forged documents)—were invoked in the case.

The chargesheet was filed at the Esplanade Court in Mumbai, detailing how the accused siphoned off Rs 14.57 crore through the scam during the peak of the pandemic.