Businessman Sujit Patker, a friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, played a crucial role in criminal activities related to alleged irregularities in managing the city’s COVID-19 treatment centres and hatching a conspiracy with other partners of his firm as well as BMC officials, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told a special court on Thursday.

Patker received a “substantial” amount of proceeds of crime in his personal bank account from his company, Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS), said the ED while seeking an extension of the businessman’s remand in a money-laundering case related to the alleged scam.