Covid body bag 'scam': ED summons former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar

Kishori Pednekar. File Pic

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday issued summon to former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar and asked her to appear before the agency on January 25 in connection with the Covid body bag 'scam', the ANI reported.

Earlier in November last year, ED had summoned the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and in connection with the case.

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According to the ANI, the ED investigations has claimed that a company was allegedly providing body bags for dead Covid patients to another company for Rs 2,000 and that company was further providing the same body bags to the Central Procurement Department for Rs 6,800 and it's contract was allegedly signed by the then Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar.

A case was also registered by the Mumbai Police against Kishori Pednekar.

Earlier, Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had summoned the former Deputy Commissioner of the BMC's Central Purchase Department (CPD), Ramakant Biradar, to probe into the allegations of irregularities involved in purchasing body bags for deceased Covid-19 patients.

Meanwhile, in an another case, the ED had on Wednesday arrested Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray, in connection with the 6.37 crore Khichdi scam, the officials said.

The ED had initiated a money laundering case based on the FIR filed by Mumbai Police's Economic Offense Wing (EOW). After months of investigation, the EOW and the ED recorded Chavan's statement multiple times, leading to his arrest.

In September last year, the EOW initiated an FIR against six individuals for alleged misappropriation of R6.37 crore and financial irregularities related to BMC's contract for distributing khichdi to migrant workers during the pandemic. The FIR, registered at the Agripada police station, names Sujit Patkar, a close associate of Sanjay Raut; Sunil alias Bala Kadam; Rajeev Salunkhe of Sahyadri Refreshments; employees of Force One Multi Services; Sneha Caterer's partners; and an assistant municipal commissioner (planning), along with other unidentified BMC officials.

According to the FIR, the contract was intended for a company equipped with the necessary kitchens and certifications from health and related departments to prepare khichdi for 5,000 people daily. However, the contracts were awarded to Sahyadri Refreshments and Vaishnavi Kitchen, neither of which possessed these requirements, and they subsequently subcontracted the work. Similarly, Force One lacked the necessary kitchen facilities and subcontracted the production of khichdi. The FIR also suggests that, as per the contract, each packet of khichdi was supposed to weigh 300 grams, but the accused parties provided packets weighing only 100-200 grams to migrant workers.

(with ANI inputs)