Mumbai: EOW summons former mayor in body bag scam case

The BMC eventually purchased the body bags from VIPL at `6,719 each. Representational pic

Amplifying its investigation into the COVID body bag scam, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has issued summons to Kishori Pednekar - the former mayor of Mumbai and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader - instructing her to appear before it on Monday.

Pednekar, along with certain senior officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has been named in the FIR for purportedly procuring 1,200 body bags from Vedanta Innotech Pvt Ltd (VIPL) during the peak of the pandemic in April 2020, allegedly at inflated prices. VIPL has also been listed as an accused in the FIR and some of the company's directors have already recorded their statements with the EOW.

According to the FIR, Pedenekar had allegedly contacted Haridas Rathod, deputy dean of BMC's Central Purchase Department, instructing him to award the contract to VIPL and cancel the eligibility of Careone Solution LLP which had initially qualified as a vendor after the civic body issued its second Expression of Interest (EOI-3). During negotiations, the value of the body bags from VIPL was reduced to R2,583 each, a substantial difference from the originally proposed R6,719 as per EOI-1.
The FIR contends that despite Careone being awarded the contract, the BMC subsequently rejected their body bags, citing quality concerns and alleged leakage issues. The BMC then purchased the body bags from VIPL at R6,719 each, instead of the reduced price initially quoted by the company.

"The former mayor has been summoned to provide her statement regarding her alleged illegal directives and her apparent preference for VIPL, and to determine if she misused her position to issue unauthorised instructions to BMC officers," said a senior EOW officer.

1,200
No. of body bags procured in alleged scam