Mumbai Covid scam: IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal appears before ED for questioning

MUMBAI: IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal appeared before Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday to record his statement in a money laundering case related to BMC spending on Covid-related work during the pandemic. Jaiswal, CEO Mhada, was additional municipal commissioner in the BMC during the pandemic and the Covid field hospital-related contracts allotted by him under the ED scanner.
Initially, the ED was investigating Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) along with its promoter Sujit Patkar, a close friend of Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut, and his three partners in the company. But subsequently, it decided to investigate the BMC’s Rs 4,000 crore spending on Covid related works during the pandemic. Jaiswal as an additional commissioner of BMC had allotted the contract to LHMS. The ED had searched Jaiswal’s home in the case last week and investigated.
The ED already established the money trail of Rs 30 crore that was released by the BMC to LHMS. The ED found 75 per cent of the total released money was diverted and only Rs 8 crore was used for the Dahisar field hospital. The ED found that the money was diverted to various shell companies and used for personal purpose.
During the search of Jaiswal’s home last week, the ED collected papers of 24 properties including half-acre land at Madh Island, multiple flats that he owns along with his wife and Rs 15 crore fixed deposits (FD) for examination. Jaiswal told the ED officials that the total worth of his properties is Rs 34 crore and most of these properties were inherited by his wife from her father (a retired IRS officer), mother and grandparents. Jaiswal reportedly had declared all these properties to the government and voluntarily submitted the documents to the ED officers.
Last week, the ED searched 15 premises in the city and neighbouring area in a money laundering case and seized documents of 50 properties (including Jaiswal) collectively worth Rs 150 crore. During the search, the ED also seized Rs 68.65 lakh cash and jewellery worth Rs 2.46 crore from the different premises for examination.
Meanwhile, the ED also wrote to the BMC asking them to provide details under separate heads about total expending in Covid period, along with expenses, tender allotted and payment made to suppliers under each head.