When Emergency Response Meets Everyday Scandal: LHMS and the Bureaucrat in the Crosshairs

 The Covid 19 pandemic brought with it a wave of emergencies—both medical and administrative. In the race to create functional healthcare infrastructure, several rapid decisions were made by civic bodies, sometimes bypassing protocol in the name of urgency. One such initiative was the establishment of Mumbai’s Jumbo Covid Centres. But what began as a life-saving emergency response turned into a controversy when allegations of corruption surfaced against Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS), a firm that bagged key contracts for operating these centres.

Amidst this storm, the name of a senior bureaucrat, IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, emerged—not as a central player, but as a collateral mention. This article outlines why involving Jaiswal in the scam narrative is not just misplaced but undermines the integrity of governance during a crisis.

LHMS and the Scam: What ED Found

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation, LHMS—a newly floated company in 2020 with no prior healthcare experience—was awarded a ₹31.84 crore contract by the BMC to provide medical staff for Jumbo Covid Centres in Dahisar and Worli. The company, led by Sujit Patker, allegedly submitted fake attendance sheets and inflated bills. Doctors who were shown on duty later denied ever having worked at the centres. A web of forged documents, non-existent staff, and suspicious payments began to unravel.

Moreover, despite red flags raised by BMC's own accounts officers—some of whom refused to clear bills citing incomplete documentation—certain senior civic officials allegedly instructed them to process the invoices.
The case, initially filed by Azad Maidan Police and later handed over to the Economic Offences Wing, highlights the deliberate bypassing of protocol by LHMS, allegedly with the support of certain civic insiders.

The Unwarranted Link to IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal

 

In the political frenzy that followed, Shiv Sena (UBT) affiliations of Patker brought added media and political attention. A tweet from BJP leader Kirit Somaiya accused Sujit Patker, a known associate of Sanjay Raut, and by extension, named multiple others in a sweeping accusation. Among those indirectly dragged into the narrative was IAS Jaiswal, then holding significant administrative roles.
However, what is notably absent in the ED chargesheet and corroborating documents is any direct role played by Jaiswal in the awarding or management of contracts to LHMS.

No Link to Jaiswal in Jumbo covid center LHMS Scam:

• Approving the LHMS contract
• Being part of the meetings pressuring BMC officers to clear fraudulent invoices
• Signing any payment authorization
• Engaging with LHMS representatives during the process
   

In fact, the names prominently featured in the ED’s findings include Sujit Patker, Dr. Kishore Bisure, and certain unnamed senior BMC officials—not Jaiswal.

A Bureaucrat’s Legacy Under Fire

IAS Sanjeev Jaiswal has long been recognized for steering urban transformation projects and upholding governance during crises. His leadership during pandemic-related housing and welfare interventions have been both proactive and people-centric. To link his name to a controversy where no legal, procedural, or operational involvement is established serves little more than political sensationalism.

In the age of viral headlines, bureaucrats often become easy targets in sweeping narratives. But due diligence and fact-based reporting demand that lines be drawn between those accused and those doing their job under extraordinary pressure.