The banking unit of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has submitted a comprehensive 500-page chargesheet against contractor Rahul Gomes, the proprietor of Oaks Management Consultancy. Gomes is accused of manipulating the tendering process for the construction of the Covid Jumbo Centre at the Richardson & Crudas facility in Mulund, resulting in a significant loss of Rs 37 crore to the government exchequer.
Key Accused Named in Chargesheet
The chargesheet, filed before the 47th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court at Esplanade, has named former Cidco chief engineer Rajendra Dhyatkar. Police are currently awaiting sanction from the government to initiate prosecution against Dhyatkar. The document meticulously outlines how the accused allegedly exploited emergency procurement relaxations introduced during the Covid-19 crisis to secure a government contract worth over Rs 11.5 crore through fraudulent means.
Exploitation of Emergency Provisions
According to the chargesheet, Dhyatkar was fully aware that under the "force majeure" conditions declared by the Central Government, authorities were permitted to award contracts without adhering to a full tender process. This loophole was allegedly used to bypass standard procurement protocols. The investigation revealed that three bids were submitted for the project, but two of them—purportedly from firms named "Vovisto Event" and "Nitin Enterprises"—were found to be entirely fake.
Witnesses Shahaji Chile and Ajay Gole, in whose names the bids were submitted, informed investigators that they were employees of Gomes and had merely forwarded tender documents provided by him via email and WhatsApp. Statements from multiple witnesses, including employees and associates of Gomes, confirmed that these firms did not exist and that their addresses were bogus. Further verification from the Registrar of Partnership Firms established that neither entity was registered in Maharashtra.
Fraudulent Bidding Process
Investigators discovered that all three bids—including the lowest, or L-1, bid submitted by Gomes’ firm, M/s Oaks Management Consultancy Pvt Ltd—originated from the same source, effectively eliminating any genuine competition. Despite these glaring irregularities, Dhyatkar allegedly approved the proposal on May 18, 2020, without conducting any due diligence or verification of the bids.
Rapid Payment and Work Order
The chargesheet further states that a work order was issued the very next day, on May 19, 2020. Subsequently, Cidco released payments amounting to over Rs 11.5 crore to Gomes’ firm based on invoices and completion certificates submitted by the accused. Bank records obtained during the investigation confirmed that the entire contract amount was credited to Gomes’ company account. The police allege that the funds were obtained through a "pre-planned and fraudulent tender process."
No Involvement of BMC Officials
The investigation has ruled out any involvement of officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The civic body only took over the facility after its construction, as per government directives issued in July 2020. The chargesheet thus focuses solely on the actions of the accused contractor and the former Cidco engineer.
