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IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, who appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Friday in connection with the agency’s probe into the alleged Rs 38-crore Covid jumbo centres scam, has invested Rs 5 crore in a fixed deposit in his wife’s name during the Covid-19 pandemic, sources said.
The agency is trying to find out the source of the money invested in the FD, sources added. After being slapped couple of summons Jaiswal Friday morning appeared before the ED for questioning. Jaiswal was allowed to go home by ED officials after more than 10 hours of questioning. After coming out of the ED office, he told mediapersons, “I co-operated with the investigation. I was not well and hence was unable to come the last two times. They have not called me again and if they call, I will come.”
A 1996-batch IAS officer, Jaiswal is currently the Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). He was the additional municipal commissioner in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) when the alleged Covid-19 jumbo centre scam took place.
Besides, Rs 5 crore FD, various other investments of Jaiswal worth crores of rupees are under ED scanner. The agency has claimed to have identified his nearly two dozens properties (including a half-acre land in Madh island) that could be worth more than Rs 100 crore.
Last week, when the ED raided his Bandra residence, Rs 13 lakh cash was also seized. Jaiswal has been claiming that these properties are their family’s ancestral properties and some have been gifted by his in-laws.
Jaiswal was one of the few key signatories, besides the municipal commissioner, who were involved in the process of awarding contracts to Lifeline Hospital Management Services, a firm co-owned by Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut.
The ED is checking if he had received any kickback from the contractors to award contract to Lifeline Hospital Management Services or if he acted under the influence or pressure of someone.
ED sources said that they suspect Jaiswal was aware of the gross irregularities and knowingly signed the key approval documents as a member of the tender committee, agency sources said. The agency is trying to find out what criteria were followed while awarding contracts to Patkar’s firm.
The ED had last week conducted raids on 19 premises and also recorded the statement of deputy municipal commissioner Ramakant Biradar and other civic officials. Apart from this, statement of three other co-owners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services have been recorded except Patkar. They would be summoned again for second round of questioning, an ED source hinted.
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