Covid jumbo centre scam: Court rejects bail plea of accused Sanjay Raut aide Sujit Patkar

“During the pandemic, it was the request of the nine that a idiosyncratic stood guardant and saved lives…. The accused (Patkar) with his partners stepped guardant trying to amusement that they privation to prevention lives but entered into transgression conspiracy and played with the lives of radical astatine ample by under-deployment of doctors and unit with the lone volition to cheat the BMC and make proceeds of transgression by fake bills and vouchers, and truthful helium is not entitled for being released connected bail,” peculiar justice A C Daga said successful the bid connected Monday.

Patkar had sought bail stating that the steadfast Lifeline Hospital Management Services Ltd was established to use for tenders, and bids were placed to connection services to jumbo centres successful Worli and Dahisar. Patkar said that each of the partners successful the steadfast were fixed circumstantial roles and helium was fixed the occupation of conducting back-office operations, advisory tasks and attending pre-bid meetings. Patkar said that different partners were fixed the work of operating and managing the centres and different tasks. He sought bail connected grounds of parity and others were granted bail.

The ED, done peculiar nationalist authoritative Kavita Patil said that Patkar, had obtained clearances of pending bills successful connivance with BMC officials and the accused had submitted fake and fabricated attendance sheets. The ED besides claimed that parts of the proceeds of the transgression were diverted to the idiosyncratic relationship of Patkar.

The tribunal said that prima facie, it appeared that a mendacious database was prepared to amusement a higher fig of patients and employees and that mendacious vouchers were fixed to BMC. The tribunal relied connected assorted witnesser statements connected the centres being understaffed. It said that Patkar was really progressive successful the committee of the offence and took portion successful decisions, including liasoning with BMC officials and creating attendance sheets and vouchers. The tribunal besides said that the accused cannot assertion that the proceedings volition get delayed and that the ED indispensable beryllium fixed an accidental to statesman the proceedings and implicit it. It said that if determination was nary advancement successful the adjacent 6-8 months, the accused could use freshly for bail.