From garment seller to multi-millionaire BMC contractor
Romin Chheda, a shopkeeper turned contractor, was arrested for allegedly causing losses worth ₹6 crore to the BMC through delays in construction and irregularities in oxygen plant contracts. Chheda's progress is believed to be due to his political connections.
MUMBAI: Born and brought up in the western suburb of Borivali, Romin Chheda, 42, began helping his father in his garment shop after getting a BCom degree. In subsequent years, he expanded the business from one shop to three. However, during the lockdown, he had to close one.
According to investigators looking into the alleged Covid-19 scam, Chheda’s fortunes changed after 2016 when he became an authorised representative of Highway Construction Company, which bagged a range of civic contracts. His progress was allegedly due to his political connections.
“Before 2016, he was just a normal shopkeeper but after that he suddenly became a big contractor. He got 57 different contracts from the BMC between 2017 and 2023,” said a senior police officer. During the inquiry, Chheda said that one of his customers at his shop advised him to invest in a BMC contract where he could earn more money. The person was also into the BMC contract business and helped him, added the officer.
Chheda was arrested on November 24 by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). He was booked along with unknown BMC officials for causing losses worth ₹6 crore to the civic body by delays in construction.
Earlier, in July, the ED raided Chheda’s house in connection with the alleged irregularities in the oxygen plant contracts while probing other matters. The Highway Construction Company was also penalised in the Byculla Zoo Penguin Enclosure scam, sources said. Chheda was arrested under Sections 418, 465, 467, 468, 471, 218, 120(b), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.
According to the EOW, the BMC awarded Highway Construction Company a contract to build oxygen-generation plants in nine of its hospitals and two Jumbo Covid centres. The hospitals were V N Desai Hospital, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, GTB Hospital, Kasturba Hospital, BYL Nair Hospital, R N Cooper Hospital, K B Bhabha Hospital, KEM Hospital and ATMG Sion Hospital.
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