Mumbai (Maharashtra): A case has been registered against BJP leader and former MP on Thursday from Mumbai Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil Somaiya for embezzlement of funds at the Trombay police station in connection with the INS Vikrant scam based on a complaint lodged by a former soldier Baban Bhosle.
Senior Police Inspector Rehana Sheikh said, "A case has been registered against Kirit Somaiya and Neil Somaiya under Sections 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the Trombay Police station in Mumbai for INS Vikrant financial bungling."
After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) took action against Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in the money laundering case, Raut on Wednesday accused the BJP MP Somaiya of financial bungling, alleging that he had collected around Rs 57 crore from the people as part of a campaign to save the INS Vikrant, the fund wasn't submitted to the state exchequer.
Bhosle in a statement said, "In 2013-14, BJP had launched a campaign to save INS Vikrant and collected money from people, which as per information from the Raj Bhavan no such money was received. It is found that Somaiya used the money for his business." The Trombay police are investigating the matter.
Also Read: Sanjay Raut accuses Kirit Somaiya of embezzling Rs 50 crore meant for INS Vikrant repair
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had alleged that crores of rupees were laundered under Vikrant's name. The leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government have been repeatedly accused of corruption by Kirit Somaiya. However, Raut has also revealed that Kirit Somaiya did not pay. He said that after a call to convert INS Vikrant, which had played a key role in the 1971 war against Pakistan, into a museum, Somaiya had started a campaign 'Save Vikrant' and Rs 50 crore was collected for the purpose, "but the information from the Raj Bhavan said that not a single paise was submitted".
Pertinently, during the auction after its decommissioning, INS Vikrant was bought by IB Commercial Pvt Ltd for Rs 60 crore. Following decommissioning in 1997, the ship was earmarked for preservation as a museum ship in Mumbai. Lack of funding prevented progress on the ship's conversion to a museum and it was speculated that the ship would be made into a training ship. He had demanded that Somaiya be tried for sedition for betraying the country.
