INS Vikrant cheating case: Court rejects anticipatory bail plea of Kirit Somaiya

Special Judge R K Rokade said that there was prima facie proof including photographs which show that funds were collected for INS Vikrant. It also relied on a purported letter sent to the Governor in 2013 by Somaiya stating that Mumbaikars are ready to contribute Rs 140 crore for a memorial museum and a response to an RTI query by the Governor’s office which said that no money was deposited by him.

A complaint of cheating was filed at Trombay police station by an ex-armyman claiming that a donation drive was started by Somaiya in 2013 to prevent INS Vikrant from being decommissioned and scrapped. The complaint said that Somaiya, Neil and others had collected funds through 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 made a contribution of Rs 2000. But, in 2014, he learnt that the warship was scrapped and auctioned to a company for Rs 60 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 alleges that the Governor’s office in a reply said that in 2013-14, no money was received from Somaiya.

The police said that Somaiya was summoned to appear before it on April 9 but had sought time and said that he would remain present on April 13 and had instead filed an anticipatory bail plea which it said shows that he was not ready to co-operate with the probe.

Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat said that it was necessary to find out the that his custody was needed to trace the funds. He said that no receipt was given for the donation collected.

Somaiya’s lawyer Ashok Mundargi said that the complaint was delayed and filed after nine years. He said that similar donations were also collected by other political parties including Shiv Sena and Congress. It was submitted that the drive was not by him as an individual but at the party-level. It was also submitted that funds to the tune of Rs 11000 were collected as Rs 57 crore could not have been collected from the streets.

Those funds were also given to the party, he said. He called it a case of political vendetta by the ruling party stating that statements are being made that the father-son duo will be sent to prison.