BJP MP Somaiya booked for ‘cheating’ in INS Vikrant fund collection

Somaiya denied any wrongdoing and said he is ready to face an inquiry. “I have not done anything wrong,” he said. The FIR was registered a day after Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut alleged that Somaiya had invested the funds in his son’s construction company instead of depositing it with the Maharashtra Governor as promised.

INS Vikrant was India’s first aircraft carrier, which played a key role in the 1971 war with Pakistan that led to the birth of Bangladesh. It was decommissioned in 1997 and preserved as a museum till 2012 before being sold and scrapped in November 2014 after clearance from the Supreme Court. The Navy is set to roll out its new Indigenous Aircraft Carrier as “the reincarnated Vikrant”.

Senior Inspector Rehana Shaikh of the Trombay police station confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Kirit Somaiya, Neil Somaiya and others in connection with a complaint lodged by an ex-serviceman identified as Baban Bhosle.

According to the complaint, Somiaya, his son and others had collected money in 2013-14 in the name of restoring Vikrant. It stated that money was collected from the public through donation boxes in railway stations across Mumbai.

Bhosle said in the complaint that he put Rs 2,000 in one of the boxes — and that, as per his knowledge, a total of Rs 57 crore had been collected from the public. The complaint stated that while collecting donations, Somaiya had said that the money would be donated with the Governor.

According to the complaint, Bhosle learnt about the ship being scrapped, and saw a news report about an RTI query to the Governor’s secretary about the donation deposited in 2013-14 by Somaiya. The RTI reply stated that no such money was received by the Governor’s office, the complaint said.

Bhosle was not available for comment. His lawyer, Sandeep Singh, said that Bhosle approached him “with some evidence” following which he approached the Trombay police. “The police have taken cognizance and registered an FIR. We are confident that the police will take the investigation to its logical conclusion,” he said. According to Singh, Bhosle is not associated with a political party.

Incidentally, over the past few months, Somaiya has repeatedly accused various leaders of the MVA ruling coalition in Maharashtra, including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, of financial impropriety.

Responding to the FIR and Raut’s comments, Somaiya said: “There is no scam in this. I have not done anything wrong. Raut has been levelling allegations, but has not given proof to substantiate them. I have not received the copy of the FIR filed in the case. I will keep exposing the Uddhav Thackeray government. I am ready to face the investigation.”