Sanjay Raut's close aide Sujit Patkar played key role in COVID-19 centres scam: ED

A special court was informed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that businessman Sujit Patkar, a close friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, played a crucial role  in criminal activities involving alleged irregularities in the management of COVID-19 treatment centres in Mumbai and plotting with other members of his firm and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials.

Patkar, arrested on July 19, received a substantia amount of proceeds of crime in his personal bank account from his company, Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS), said the ED here while seeking extension of the businessman’s remand in a money laundering case related to the alleged scam.

Patkar and another accused in the case, Kishore Bisure, were produced before special PMLA court judge M G Deshpande at the end of their previous remand on Thursday. The court extended the ED remand of Patkar till August 1, while Bisure was sent to jail under judicial custody as the probe agency did not seek his further custody. The duo was arrested on July 19 by the central agency under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED has claimed Lifeline Hospital Management Services a partnership firm of Patkar and three others received Rs 31.84 crore from the BMC for supply of medical personnel for managing COVID-19 centres set up by the civic body during the pandemic to treat coronavirus patients. It was further revealed he played a crucial role in criminal activities and hatching a conspiracy in connivance with other partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services and BMC officials for obtaining a tender from the civic body for supplying medical staff for COVID-19 field hospitals called jumbo centres, the ED told court.

The probe agency said Patkar’s custodial interrogation has revealed he directed the staff of his firm to carry out manipulation of attendance sheets at jumbo COVID-19 centers and fraudulently raised bills to the civic body.