ED arrests businessman Sujit Patker, aide of Sanjay Raut and doctor in BMC Covid-19 centres expenses scam

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested businessman Sujit Patker, a closed aide Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and a doctor & former dean for alleged money laundering, pertaining to setting up of jumbo Covid-19 centre in Mumbai.

Sujit Patker, partner of M/S Lifeline Hospital Management service and Dr Kishore Bisure came under ED lens over irregularities in setting up & running of Dahisar jumbo Covid centre during the Corona outbreak. Dr Bisure served as the dean of this jumbo Covid centre.

According to the agency, businessman Sujit Patker and partners bagged the contract from BMC by employing fraudulent means and also oversaw many irregularities at the camp, ranging from deployment of doctors to invoices generated for medical services at the centre.

ED said its investigation found that names of several doctors were mentioned in the invoices despite them not working or employed at the Covid centre. The Lifeline Hospital Management Services reportedly fudged data and mis-reported number of doctors/paramedics at these centres for ‘drawing financial benefits’. The probe revealed that actual deployment of doctors was 50-60% less than those mentioned in the bills, submitted to BMC.

Some BMC officials along with staff at these Covid-19 centres have also been found to be hand in gloves with the accused. For carrying out such illegal act, the M/s Lifeline Hospital Management Services provided them with valuables & cash. Dr Kishore Bisure, the then dean of the centre apparently was apparently in the knowhow of this illegal gratification but failed to contain this. He rather signed the fabricated bills, claimed for deployment of medical staff, thus being a complicit in the crime.

Sujit Patker and Dr. Kishore Bisure were arrested by ED on 19th July and produced before the Special Court, Mumbai, which remanded them to ED custody for 8 days.

The agency had earlier conducted search operations at various premises of concerned individuals/ entities and it resulted in seizure of cash, gold and several incriminating documents.