INDIA. Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at 15 locations in Mumbai as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities related to the Covid Care Jumbo Centres established by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the pandemic. During the search, the ED discovered assets belonging to former Additional Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal that appeared to be disproportionate to his known sources of income.
According to the ED, movable and immovable assets worth nearly Rs 49 crore were found in the name of Jaiswal and his wife. These assets include a plot of land at Madh Island in North Mumbai, multiple residential flats in the city, and a fixed deposit of Rs 15 crore in a bank. Jaiswal’s wife claimed that the Madh Island land was a gift from her father, a former employee of the state revenue department.
Although Jaiswal was summoned by the ED for a hearing, he did not attend, leading to the possibility of him being summoned again in the future. ED sources suggest that the agency aims to determine Jaiswal’s involvement in awarding contracts to various contractors during the pandemic.
During the two-day searches, the ED seized documents related to properties worth Rs 50 crore, cash amounting to Rs 68.6 lakh, and ornaments worth Rs 2.46 crore, all belonging to different individuals.
The investigation originated from allegations that the contract to manage a Covid center was awarded to “Lifeline Hospital Management Services,” reportedly operated by individuals with close ties to the Shiv Sena (UBT), lacking the necessary expertise. There are also claims of false billing, including fictitious doctor presence at the center. Now, BMC officials themselves are under scrutiny by the ED.
The BMC has issued a statement asserting that there have been no wrongdoings and that a sum of Rs 33.13 crore was spent on providing manpower at the Jumbo Covid centers in Dahisar (North Mumbai) and NSCI, Worli (South Central Mumbai). Additionally, the BMC lodged a complaint with the police on August 24, 2022, following the complaints made by former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya.
Former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has refuted allegations that the BMC purchased Covid dead body covers at inflated prices as per her instructions. She clarified that all decisions were made by the civic administration under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and the Disaster Management Act (DMA) 2005.
BMC sources have invoked the DM Act, which grants officers 100% immunity and holds overriding power over other acts, including the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Act and Code of Criminal Procedure. They argue that the COVID-19 pandemic was akin to a war situation, thus exempt from audits.
Meanwhile, a special investigation team (SIT) led by Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar will probe alleged financial misappropriations amounting to Rs 12,000 crore in 76 projects undertaken by the BMC. The irregularities were pointed out by the CAG in its report presented in March of this year.
