ED: Patkar played a key role in COVID-19 centres irregularities; court extends remand

Businessman Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, played a crucial role in criminal activities related to alleged irregularities in managing COVID-19 treatment centres in Mumbai, according to the Enforcement Directorate. Patkar's remand has been extended until August 1.

MUMBAI: Businessman Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, played a crucial role in criminal activities related to alleged irregularities in managing COVID-19 treatment centres in the city, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court on Thursday.

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ED also said Patkar hatched a conspiracy with other partners of his firm as well as BMC officials for the same.

The court extended the ED remand of Patkar till August 1. Patkar, arrested on July 19, received a substantial amount of proceeds of crime in his personal bank account from his company, Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS), which bagged a ₹38-crore civic contract to supply medical manpower to the Jumbo Covid Centres in Worli and Dahisar during the pandemic, said ED while seeking extension of his remand.

ED, however, did not ask for further custody of BMC health official Dr Kishore Bisure, who headed the civic medical team at the Dahisar jumbo Covid centre. Bisure was hence remanded to judicial custody for 14 days after the ED prosecutor Kavita Patil submitted that he had cooperated with the probe.

Patil sought Patkar’s custody for six more days contending that he had not cooperated with the probe and only kept reiterating that he had played no role in the functioning of the covid centres. However, on Wednesday, he admitted that the contract was obtained by influencing political leaders and revealed their names.

It was further contended that the partners of the firm had claimed that all the bills were generated on the instructions of Patkar. ED further claimed that he was also asked about the role played by him in meetings held with BMC officials and was confronted with their WhatsApp chats which revealed involvement of BMC officials.

Meanwhile, Bisure in his statement admitted having received money from Patkar. It is contended that ED is looking at the transactions and transfer of funds between partners of Patkar’s firm.

Patkar’s lawyer, advocate Subhash Jha opposed the plea and contended that the entire case was based on documents for which Patkar’s custody is not required. “Whenever a natural or man-made calamity strikes, as it happened in 2020-the pandemic, you cannot have the same parameters of scrutiny as in normal circumstances as the situation is abnormal,” he submitted.

Besides, on the statements given by the firms other Patkar’s implicating him, Jha contended that in a partnership firm, all partners are equally liable for all the decisions taken.

The court, however, did not consider the arguments and extended Patkar’s custody for further investigation.