Police arrest contractor in Mumbai’s multi-crore ‘oxygen supply scam’
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police on Friday arrested a contractor in connection with an alleged scam in the supply of oxygen and installation of oxygen plants in civic body hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The contractor, identified as Romin Chheda, was arrested post-interrogation.
According to the police, he was given a contract despite allegedly not having prior experience in executing such work.
He procured oxygen for Rs 38 crore for supplying to various civic hospitals, Covid jumbo centres and other hospitals in Mumbai, but handed over a bill of Rs 140 crore to Mumbai’s civic body BMC, police added.
The police action came two days after the filing of the FIR in the case against Chheda and some BMC officials under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 418, 465, 467, 468, 471, 218, 120 (B) and 34 for cheating, forgery, causing wrongful loss, framing incorrect record to save someone from punishment and other offences.
According to sources, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will also be registering a case in the scam.
Ex-BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, while speaking on the issue, said that Chheda is close to several Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders including Aditya Thackrey, who helped him in getting the contract.
