Body bags purchase: EOW questions BMC officer

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Mumbai has recorded a seven-hour statement from Ramakant Biradar, former deputy municipal commissioner of BMC, in relation to alleged irregularities in purchasing body bags for Covid-19 patients. Biradar, along with other officials, has been named as an accused in the case. The EOW will further question Biradar on Wednesday for more clarity. The FIR was registered on August 5th, and the accused are booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

MUMBAI: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) which is probing alleged irregularities in purchasing body bags for deceased Covid-19 patients recorded a seven-hour long statement of Ramakant Biradar, former deputy municipal commissioner of BMC on Saturday.

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Biradar, who was in charge of the civic body’s Central Purchase Department (CPD) during the pandemic, was recently summoned to remain present before the EOW officials.

The EOW officials said they will be further calling Biradar on Wednesday to get further clarity on the matter.

Biradar has been named as one of the accused in the case and held the post during the pandemic. Apart from him, former Mayor Kishori Pednekar and senior IAS officer P Velrasu are also named in the FIR as they hold the posts during the pandemic. The FIR was registered on August 5th by the EOW.

A director of Vedanta Innotech Private Ltd (VIPL) is also booked in the case, as the firm had allegedly supplied body bags for dead Covid-19 patients to the BMC priced at ₹6,719 a piece, which was over three times ( ₹1,500 per piece) of what it had charged other private hospitals or government authorities during the same period, an earlier inquiry had revealed.

“We have recorded his statement for seven hours. He came at 11am and went around 6pm. We will go through his statement and study it. We have always called him on Wednesday to record his statement further. If we have any questions, we will question him regarding the same as well,” said a EOW official.

According to the EOW FIR, Pednekar, unknown public servants, and private persons entrusted with the use of funds of the BMC hatched a criminal conspiracy to favour VIPL, and its directors and defrauded the BMC to the tune of ₹49,63,200.

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. BMC purchased 1,200 body bags for total consideration of over ₹80 lakh, said an EOW official.

EOW officials said the accused in the case are booked for 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.