Ex-Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar faces EOW grilling over "Covid-19 body bags scam" second time in a week

File Photo/ANI

Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar Wednesday appeared before the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police for the second time this week in connection with an alleged scam in the purchase of body bags for Covid-19 victims.

Pednekar reached the EOW office in south Mumbai at around 11 am, PTI reported.

Earlier, the former mayor appeared before the EOW on Monday when she questioned for two hours by the police, following an FIR registered against her and two other persons.

The EOW had registered the case against Pednekar, who belongs to the Shiv Sena (UBT), and two senior officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under various Indian Penal Code sections including 420 (cheating) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

It was alleged that there was a misappropriation of funds and irregularities in the management of health facilities and the purchase of body bags for deceased coronavirus patients, masks and other items by the BMC during the pandemic.

Pednekar was Mumbai mayor from November 2019 till March 2022, when the term of the BMC's general body ended. Fresh civic elections are yet to be held.

On September 6, the Bombay High Court granted interim protection from arrest for four weeks to Pednekar, noting the case probe was on and at this stage custodial interrogation was not warranted.

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The HC had directed Pednekar to cooperate with the probe into the case and appear before the EOW on September 11, 13 and 16 for questioning.

In her pre-arrest bail plea, Pednekar claimed she was falsely implicated in the case and the complaint against her was politically motivated.

She claimed the case was lodged only after the split in the Shiv Sena party and that she is being targeted as she belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray faction.

On August 25, EOW summoned the former Deputy Commissioner of the BMC's Central Purchase Department (CPD), Ramakant Biradar, to probe into the allegations of irregularities involved in purchasing body bags for deceased COVID-19 patients.

Biradar, who was in charge of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's CPD during the pandemic, has been summoned in connection with the alleged scam.