An investigator said Somaiya has alleged that the firm's inexperience in the field of health and medical services has cost the lives of people who got admitted to the jumbo centres and thus, Section 304 (A) (death due to negligence) was added in the FIR.(Express Photo- Representational)The Azad Maidan police in Mumbai Wednesday registered a case of cheating, criminal breach of trust and causing death due to negligence against Lifeline Hospital Management Services and four of its co-partners over a complaint by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya that the company bagged a contract of operating jumbo centres during the Covid-19 outbreak by allegedly providing forged documents.
One of the co-partners, Sujit Patkar, is said to be a close aide of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. The three others have been identified as Dr Hemant Ramsharan Gupta, Sanjay Shah and Raju Nandkumar Salunkhe.
Somaiya has alleged that Lifeline Hospital Management Services does not have any experience in providing health or medical facilities. The police are yet to make arrests in the case.
In a tweet, Somaiya saiid, “₹100 Crore COVID Center Scam Police registered My FIR 756 against Sanjay Raut Partner Sujeet Patker & Lifeline Hospital Management Services under sections IPC 420 406 304A 34. Worli, Mulund, Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Mulund, Pune Shivaji Nagar Centers contracts obtained by Fraud.”
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Somaiya also alleged that the firm has been blacklisted by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), which has also issued a direction to not award any contract to the said firm in Maharashtra. But still, the firm managed to fraudulently procure a contract from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
A statement released by Somaiya read, “A partner of Lifeline Hospital Management Services firm falsely pretended to have experience in the medical field when the firm had no experience in providing medical services to P.M.R.D.A. and since it has been pointed out, the firm then submitted forged documents to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, through which the firm obtained the contract of Jumbo Covid Center and has defrauded the government for its own benefits.”
An investigator said Somaiya has alleged that the firm’s inexperience in the field of health and medical services has cost the lives of people who got admitted to the jumbo centres and thus, Section 304 (A) (death due to negligence) was added in the FIR.
“The firm has received approximately Rs 38 crore from the Mumbai civic body by submitting payments for services rendered and work done at the Covid centres,” read Somaiya’s statement. It added that the firm “cheated the public, the BMC and the government”.