BMC Covid-19 centres scam: IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal appears before ED for questioning

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 30 : IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal reached the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office here in Mumbai on Friday, and joined its probe in connection to the money laundering case.

Jaiswal was summoned by the ED for questioning in the alleged BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) Covid-19 centres scam.

The questioning is also linked to a money laundering case against businessman Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray.

The ED had earlier summoned Jaiswal for questioning as well but he did not appear before the anti-money laundering agency. So far, eight people have recorded their statements with the ED in the BMC covid scam case.

Earlier last week, the ED raided 15 locations in Mumbai in connection with the case and seized Rs 68.65 lakh in cash and documents of properties worth crores.

According to sources, the ED recovered documents of 50 immovable properties located at various places in Maharashtra with a market value of more than Rs 150 crore, fixed deposits and investments worth Rs 15 crore, and jewelry worth Rs 2.46 crore. According to the sources, ED has also seized several mobile phones and laptops along with many incriminating documents.

According to ED sources, the raids were conducted at locations associated with some officials of the BMC and some other people, including IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, in connection with the COVID-19 hospital management contracts.

The search revealed that one company was giving body bags for dead COVID-19 patients to another company for Rs 2,000. That company was giving the same body bags to the Central Procurement Department for Rs 6,800 and this contract was signed by the then BMC mayor Kishori Pednekar, said the sources in the ED.