BMC Covid scam case: ED summons Aaditya's close aide for questioning

MUMBAI : Enforcement Directorate(ED)Enforcement Directorate(ED) on Friday summoned Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, and asked him to appear for questioning in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation(BMC) Covid scam case.

Earlier on Thursday, ED conducted raids at 15 locations in Mumbai including at Suraj Chavan's residence and recovered documents.

As per an ED official, the raids were conducted at the residence of Chavan in Mumbai's Chembur area early Wednesday morning.

BMC Covid scam case is a case of money laundering registered against businessman Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, and others.

According to the ED sources, the raids were also conducted at locations associated with some officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and some other people, including IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, in connection with the COVID-19 hospital management contracts.

According to the sources, ED seized Rs 68.65 lakh in cash during the raid. Documents of 50 immovable properties located at various places in Maharashtra with a market value of more than Rs 150 crore, fixed deposits and investments worth Rs 15 crore and jewelery worth Rs 2.46 crore have also been recovered.

ED has also seized several mobile phones and laptops along with many incriminating documents, said the sources.

The search revealed that one company was giving body bags for dead COVID-19 patients to another company for Rs 2,000. That company was giving the same body bags to the Central Procurement Department for Rs 6,800 and this contract was signed by the then BMC mayor, said the sources in the ED