INS Vikrant case: Court refuses to accept Mumbai police closure report against BJP’s Kirit Somaiya, son Neil, says further probe needed
A Mumbai court said that the investigating officer has not looked into what was done with the amount allegedly collected by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and son Neil for the restoration of INS Vikrant.
In 2022, a cheating complaint was filed at the Trombay police station by an ex-Armyman claiming that a donation drive was started by Kirit Somaiya in 2013 to prevent INS Vikrant from being decommissioned and scrapped. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar) A magistrate court in Mumbai last week rejected a closure report filed by the police into a probe against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and son Neil Somaiya, in connection with a cheating case filed by the Mumbai police alleging swindling of funds collected for the restoration of INS Vikrant, Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier. The court said that further investigation is necessary.
The court said that the Economic Offences Wing’s (EOW’s) investigating officer has not looked into what was done with the amount collected by the Somaiyas during collection drives conducted in Mumbai in 2013-14.
The investigating officer told the court that 38 witness statements of people who had contributed money at a drive held at Churchgate station were recorded during the probe. The officer said that Rs 10,000 was collected from contributors during the one-hour drive. He also submitted that it was impossible that Rs 57 crore was collected as the drive was held for such a short span. The officer further said that on the same day, Somaiya went to meet the governor but he was not present and hence he could not meet him.
The court said that witness statements show that they were not aware of what was done with the money collected.
“Investigating officer has not placed any document on record showing that said amount was deposited by accused either with the office of Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra or with the Government. Thus in this matter, the investigating officer has not done investigation as to what has done by accused with the amount collected by them,” S P Shinde, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, said in the order on August 8.
The court also said that drives were conducted in other places as well. “But the investigating officer has not taken any pain to record statements of the witnesses, from other places, who have also alleged to have made contribution in the said drive,” it said.
It directed the investigating officer to continue further investigation.
What the complaint alleged
In 2022, a cheating complaint was filed at the Trombay police station by an ex-Armyman claiming that a donation drive was started by Kirit Somaiya in 2013 to prevent INS Vikrant from being decommissioned and scrapped. The complaint said that Somaiya, Neil and others had collected funds by setting up donation boxes in various locations in the city.
The complainant said that due to the significance of INS Vikrant, including its contribution to the 1971 war, he contributed Rs 2,000. But, in 2014, he learnt that the warship was scrapped and auctioned to a company for Rs 57 crore.
The complaint said that Somaiya had tweeted that he had written a letter to the governor in 2013 on the contribution Mumbaikars were ready to make. The complaint alleged that the governor’s office in a reply said that in 2013-14, no money was received from Somaiya.
The EOW filed a C-summary closure report stating that the investigation revealed that the crime comes under the category of neither true nor false and was filed due to a misunderstanding.
In 2022, a special court had rejected anticipatory bail to the Somaiyas in the case. Somaiya had said that only Rs 10,000 was collected and that it was handed over to the governor. They were then granted relief from arrest by the Bombay High Court.
Share
