BMC COVID-19 centres case: ED arrests businessman Sujit Patkar, friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut

Sujit Patkar, a businessman and friend of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in setting up of jumbo COVID-19 treatment facilities, an official told PTI on Thursday. The ED has also arrested another person along with Patkar. The officials earlier said that Patkar and his three partners allegedly bagged Mumbai civic body contracts fraudulently for managing COVID-19 field hospitals in the city during the pandemic. The ED arrested Patkar and doctor Kishore Bisure on Wednesday night after their alleged involvement in the case came to light, an official said. Bisure was the dean of the Dahisar jumbo COVID-19 centre, the official said. Both of them will be produced before a court later in the day, he said. The ED last month conducted raids at 15 locations in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case against Patkar and others. The raids were conducted at locations of some officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other people, including IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal and Suraj Chavan, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) in connection with the COVID-19 hospital management contracts, officials earlier said. With inputs from PTI.