The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has attached movable and immovable assets amounting to Rs 12.24 crore belonging to partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services in connection with a case of alleged irregularities in Jumbo Covid facilities at Dahisar and Worli, in Mumbai.
According to the federal probe agency, the attached assets are in the form of three flats in Mumbai, mutual funds, and bank balance in some accounts.
All these identified assets in the form of flats, mutual fund units and bank balances in two bank accounts all totalling to Rs 12.23 crore have been provisionally attached under the provisions of PMLA, 2002,” the agency said.
The ED began its probe against Lifeline Hospital Management Service, its partners and others based on an FIR registered by Azad Maidan Police Station, Mumbai under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The investigation agency’s probe unearthed that in June 2020, MCGM had floated tenders for manpower supply at various Jumbo Covid facilities for ICU Beds, Oxygenated Beds and non- Oxygenated Beds in Mumbai through Expression of Interest (EOI).
They obtained a tender for the supply of staff members, including doctors, nurses, multi-purpose workers, and technicians to Jumbo Covid facilities at Dahisar and Worli for the period from July 2020 to February 2022, allegedly based on incomplete and false documents, the ED said.
It is further revealed that during the service period, the EOI conditions were not maintained by the partners of M/s Lifeline Hospital Management services and there were huge under deployment of the staff members.
However, the invoices were submitted by showing adequate staff attendance as per the EOI conditions through fake and fabricated attendance sheets and staff records at the Dahisar Jumbo Covid facility and no attendance/staff data was submitted for Worli Covid facility, as per the findings during agency’s probe.
The financial probe agency also said that its probe revealed that after receipt of the amount from BMC, the accused persons diverted the funds for buying assets, repaying housing loans, and investing in real estate.
The ED has already filed a chargesheet against partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services and associated persons or entities before the court on September 19 this year.