INS Vikrant case: Court refuses to close case against Kirit Somaiya, son

Somaiya, in his statement to the police, claimed they had collected only ₹11,000 and handed it over to the governor

MUMBAI: The Esplanade metropolitan magistrate court has refused to close the case registered against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil for allegedly swindling funds worth ₹57 crore collected from the public for refurbishing INS Vikrant.

The FIR against Kirit and Neil Somaiya was registered by the Trombay police in April 2022, during the term of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. According to the complainant Baban Bhosle, a retired serviceman, the duo misappropriated ₹57 crore collected from the public in the name of saving INS Vikrant, the Navy’s first aircraft carrier which was later dismantled (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Additional chief judicial magistrate SP Shinde on August 8 rejected the closure report filed by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police after noticing that while drives to collect funds were undertaken at various places, the investigating officer had only inquired into the drive outside Churchgate station and did not ascertain where the money went. The court ordered the officer to conduct further investigation.

The FIR against Kirit and Neil Somaiya was registered by the Trombay police in April 2022, during the term of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. According to the complainant Baban Bhosle, a retired serviceman, the duo misappropriated ₹57 crore collected from the public in the name of saving INS Vikrant, the Navy’s first aircraft carrier which was later dismantled. Bhosle himself had donated ₹2,000 for the cause, he said in the complaint. He further stated that though the Somaiyas claimed the funds were deposited with the governor, the governor’s office said in response to a right to information application that it had not received any money from the BJP leader.

Somaiya, in his statement to the police, claimed they had collected only ₹11,000 and handed it over to the governor.

The case was subsequently transferred to the EOW for investigation. In the closure report filed in December 2022, the EOW stated that during investigation, they recorded statements of 38 witnesses who had contributed money for saving INS Vikrant during a drive conducted outside Churchgate railway station.

Over ₹10,000 was collected during this drive that lasted for over an hour, the investigating officer found. He noted that it was not possible to collect ₹57 crore, as alleged, in such a short time. He also noted that Somaiya had met the then governor the very same day, apparently to hand over the collected money, though it was not known what transpired during their meeting. The officer, however, sought closure of the case, claiming there was no misappropriation of funds.

The metropolitan magistrate, however, noticed that some witnesses had claimed that fund collection drives were undertaken at several places including Churchgate.

“Thus, from the statements recorded by the investigating officer, it appears that witnesses have contributed and accused have collected amount during the said drive. But investigating officer has not placed any document on record showing that said amount was deposited by accused either with the office of governer or with the government. Thus, in this matter, the investigating officer has not done investigation as to what was done by accused with the amount collected by them,” said the court.

“Further as per report, the accused have also conducted drive at some other places. 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 added.