Mumbai, Jun 20 (IANS): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a Mumbai Police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe into the irregularities worth a whopping Rs 12,024-crore of spending by the country's biggest and richest civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) between November 2019 and 2022, here on Monday.

The Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG), in a special probe last year had found out Rs 12,024-crore alleged misappropriation in the civic body's expenses related to various projects during that period.

"Based on the CAG Audit, the Maharashtra government has set up a SIT under the guidance of Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Joint Commissioner of Police, the officers of the Economic Offences Wing and senior officers of the city police," said Shinde.

Following demands from various quarters, the approval was given today to form the SIT that will investigate the financial irregularities and embezzlement of public funds as red-flagged by the CAG, he added.

It may be recalled that last year, the ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Amit Satam had demanded that the CM set up a special probe panel into the alleged frauds and book those found responsible.

Following the CM's green signal to the demands, the CAG teams had visited the BMC last year and probed various projects, tenders, purchases and expenses incurred during the Covid-19 pandemic period, and submitted its special report in March 2023.