ED summons P Velrasu, Kishori Pednekar in Covid body bags scam

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned the BMC's additional municipal commissioner and former mayor of Mumbai in connection with alleged irregularities in the purchase of body bags during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been named in the FIR and will be questioned regarding their roles. The BMC allegedly defrauded ₹49.63 lakh by favoring Vedanta Innotech Pvt Ltd and its directors. The accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. A director of VIPL has also been booked for supplying body bags at an inflated price to the BMC.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the BMC’s additional municipal commissioner P Velrasu on Tuesday and former mayor of Mumbai Kishori Pednekar on Wednesday in connection with the civic body’s alleged irregularities in the purchase of body bags during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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“They have already been named in the First Information Report (FIR) by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). We want to question them regarding their roles,” said an ED official.

According to the EOW FIR, Pednekar, unknown public servants and private citizens entrusted with the use of the BMC’s funds hatched a criminal conspiracy to favour Vedanta Innotech Pvt Ltd (VIPL) and its directors, and thus defrauded the BMC to the tune of ₹49,63,200.

The BMC purchased body bags from VIPL till 2023 at the rate of ₹6,719 per bag despite Care One Solutions supplying 100 bags to one of the BMC hospitals at just ₹2,925 per bag. The BMC purchased 1,200 body bags for a total consideration of over ₹80 lakh, as per EOW FIR.

The alleged accused in the case have been booked under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant or by banker, merchant or agent, cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect), 418 (cheating with knowledge that wrongful loss may ensue to person whose interest offender is bound to protect), 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

The agency has named former mayor Kishori Pednekar and senior IAS officer P Velrasu in the FIR along with Ramakant Biradar, deputy municipal commissioner of the BMC as they held the posts during the pandemic. The FIR was registered on August 5 by the EOW.

A director of VIPL has also been booked for allegedly supplying body bags for dead Covid-19 patients to the BMC at ₹6,719 apiece, over three times ( ₹1,500 per piece) what it had charged other private hospitals and government authorities during the same period, an earlier inquiry had revealed.

The EOW has already recorded Biradar’s statement.