INS Vikrant Case: BJP Leader Kirit Somaiya Approaches Bombay High Court Seeking Anticipatory Bail

The matter will be listed before a Single Bench of High Court after a petition has been filed through Advcocate Hrishikesh Mundargi.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya stands in front of a police van (File photo: getty)

New Delhi: The BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya on Tuesday approached the Bombay High Court to seek relief in a cheating case registered against him.

The matter will be listed before a Single Bench of the High Court after a petition has been filed through Advocate Hrishikesh Mundargi.

A 3-member Economic Offences Wing (EOW) team of Mumbai Police on Tuesday searched BJP leader Kirit Somaiya's office and other premises in connection with a cheating case registered against him, an official said on Tuesday.

The EOW team of Mumbai Police has issued summons to Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil to appear tomorrow April 13. On the other hand, according to the Maharashtra Home Department, after the registration of the case, Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil have not been traced.

In the INS Vikrant case, a retired soldier has filed a complaint of cheating against both Kirit Somaiya and his son. An FIR has been registered at Trombay Police Station on the complaint of 53-year-old retired soldier Baban Bhonsle.

#UPDATE | Mumbai Police's EOW team summons BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil to appear tomorrow, April 13, in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds collected to save aircraft carrier INS Vikrant from scrapping

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2022

The complainant alleges that Somaiya had launched a fundraising campaign for INS Vikrant. Somaiya raised a fund of more than Rs 57 crore for this purpose, but instead of depositing this fund in the office of the Secretary to the Governor of Maharashtra, he committed irregularities in the fund.

In his complaint, Bhonsle said that "INS Vikrant had played an important role in the 1971 war as a warship. So when the efforts to save it started, I thought of donating some rupees for this cause. I donated Rs 2,000 in 2013 under the campaign started by Somaiya." Local leaders of Shiv Sena along with Bhosle met the police officials and raised the issue.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Kirit Somaiya, his son Neil and others under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, a police official said.