Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar gets temporary two-day protection from arrest in covid-19 body bags purchase scam

Kishori Pednekar, a former mayor of Mumbai, got temporary relief  on Monday after the Bombay High Court was informed by the city police that they would not detain her for two days in relation to an alleged scheme involving the purchasing of body bags for COVID-19 victims.

Pednekar approached the HC after a sessions court last week rejected her pre-arrest bail plea, saying she was accused of an economic offence involving a huge amount of public money. Pednekar's appeal was heard by Justice N J Jamadar's single bench. The applicant (Pednekar), according to her attorney Rahul Arote, is a former mayor who was anticipating arrest in the matter.

A prosecutor, appearing for the police, sought time and said the case investigation officer was present in the court and that the police would hold its hands and not take any coercive steps till Wednesday. The bench then posted the matter for hearing on Wednesday. Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) had registered a case against Pednekar and two senior officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under various Indian Penal Code sections including 420 (cheating) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) based on a complaint filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya.

Pednekar was Mumbai mayor from November 2019 till March 2022 when the term of the BMC's general body ended. Fresh civic elections are yet to be held. In her pre-arrest bail plea, Pednekar claimed she was falsely implicated in the case and the complaint against her was politically motivated. She claimed that the case was lodged only after the split in the Shiv Sena party and that she was being targeted as she belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray faction.