Kishori Pednekar, Sandeep Raut interrogated for seven hours by 'ED'

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) interrogated MP Sanjay Raut's brother Sandeep Raut and former mayor Kishori Pednekar in connection with the purchase of body bags separately for nearly seven hours on Tuesday.

Pednekar was interrogated by the ED on November 23. On August 5, 2023, Pednekar along with Vedanta Innotek Pvt. Ltd, the then Additional Municipal Commissioner, the then Deputy Commissioner of Central Purchase Department (CPD) and an unidentified government employee were registered. In this case, there is an allegation of misappropriation of INR 49 lakh 63 thousand. On March 8, 2020, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had decided to purchase one thousand bags to keep the bodies.

After an inspection on March 16, the company Vedanta Innotek Pvt. Ltd. was awarded a purchase contract at INR 6,719 per bag. Then the process was started again on May 11. Another company was finalised with Vedanta at that time; But at that time, the then mayor Kishori Pednekar called the medical officer of the municipal corporation to her bungalow in Byculla and asked him to give the contract to Vedanta Innotek, a medical officer had said in his reply. After that, ED also registered a case and started investigation in this matter. Sandeep Raut was also questioned earlier by the Mumbai Police in connection with the alleged malpractices in the distribution of khichdi. Khichdis were distributed to the poor and labourers during layoffs. There is an allegation of misappropriation.

'Beneficiaries of Khichdi Scam Rulers'

If there is a khichdi scam in Mumbai municipality, its real beneficiaries are BJP and Shinde group. 120 contractors had distributed khichdi, but action is being taken against contractors belonging to the Thackeray group. The contract of the two contractors in the so-called Khichdi scam continues even today on Devagiri and Varas. An MP from the Shinde group is associated with these contractors. This was alleged by MP Sanjay Raut. Raut's brother Sandeep is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate in the Khichdi scam of the Mumbai Corporation. Raut expressed his anger on the same.