On Thursday, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police apprehended businessman Sujit Patkar, a close associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, in connection with a case involving Lifeline Hospital Management Services, a spokesperson confirmed.

Sujit Patkar, previously arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on money laundering accusations in the same matter, had been under judicial custody.

Kirit Somaiya, a BJP leader who initially lodged the complaint regarding an alleged scam in the operation of Jumbo COVID centers, also shared an update about this development on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

Ongoing investigations:

This marks the fourth apprehension made by the EOW in a case centred around alleged irregularities connected to the establishment and administration of Jumbo COVID care facilities overseen by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

In its investigations, the EOW has additionally uncovered that the contractual documents for the COVID centres situated in Dahisar and Worli were falsified, as stated by the official.

Last week, a sessions court dismissed Sujit Patkar’s bid for pre-arrest bail in the EOW case. Following this, on Thursday, Patkar was summoned to the agency’s premises for interrogation and subsequently taken into custody, the official disclosed.

He was subsequently present before a court, which granted the EOW custody of Patkar for a span of five days.

According to an EOW official, Patkar and his associates engaged in the falsification of documents to secure the contract for M/s Lifeline Hospital Management Services. As a partner within the company, Patkar played a pivotal role in deceitfully acquiring the contract.

Initially filed at the Azad Maidan police station in 2022, the case subsequently transferred to the EOW. It shed light on the utilization of counterfeit documentation in the establishment of Covid centres. The BMC had granted a contract worth Rs 38 crore to the partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services for the establishment of two jumbo centres.

The ED had previously apprehended Patkar for his involvement in money laundering related to the Jumbo Covid centre scandal. As a result, he was under judicial custody.