Thackeray family aide Kishori Pednekar to appear before ED tomorrow in Covid body bags scam

Mumbai: Former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar - a close aide of the Thackeray-family is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday in connection with a probe into money-laundering vis-a-vis alleged irregularities in purchasing of body bags by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for Covid-19 victims.

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Pednekar (61) was the Mayor of Mumbai and led from the front.

At that point of time, Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi government before it was toppled in June 2022.

In September and November 2023, Pednekar was questioned by the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police and ED, respectively, in connection with the alleged body bags scam.

It is suspected that the contract for purchase of body bags was given on the instructions of Pednekar.

A grassroots Shiv Sainik, Pednekar, during the Covid times, was seen on streets, lanes and bylanes of Mumbai and also boarded local trains and inspected railway stations. Pednekar, a former nurse, donned the uniform and boosted the confidence and morale of health care workers and nursing students

She is a four-time Corporator from G/South Ward, which covers Worli.

The Mumbai Police had booked Pednekar and two BMC officials based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya into the scam. The ED is probing the money laundering part of the issue.

The complaint has contended that there was massive inflation in the rates of body bags.