INS Vikrant fund scam: EOW issues summons to Kirit Somaiya, his son Neil

EOW, which is now investigating the case, issued the summons to Somaiya on Tuesday in view of the rejection of his pre-arrest bail plea on Monday.

Mumbai: A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya’s anticipatory bail plea was rejected by the Mumbai sessions court, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police issued a summons to him and his son Neil in connection with the cheating case registered against him.

Kirit Somaiya on Tuesday approached the Bombay high court seeking anticipatory bail. (HT PHOTO)

Based on a complaint lodged by an ex-serviceman, the Trombay police on April 7 registered an FIR, booking the former MP and his son for allegedly misappropriating about ₹57 crore collected through crowdfunding to save INS Vikrant from being scrapped and converting the decommissioned aircraft carrier into a museum.

A senior EOW officer confirmed the development to HT.

EOW, which is now investigating the case, issued the summons to Somaiya on Tuesday in view of the rejection of his pre-arrest bail plea on Monday.

Somaiya on Tuesday approached the Bombay high court seeking anticipatory bail. The bail application, filed through advocate Hrishikesh Mundargi, is expected to come up for a hearing on April 13 before the bench of justice Anuja Prabhudesai.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai sessions court on Tuesday rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Somaiya’s son Neil, who too is arrayed as accused in the cheating case. The court had rejected the pre-arrest bail plea of Kirit Somaiya on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Somaiya refuted the charge against him and said he will approach the Bombay high court in the matter. In a video statement shared on Twitter, Somaiya said he will not stop exposing scams of the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government.

“10 yrs after symbolic event of BJP #ShivSena’s SaveVikrant campaign, #SanjayRaut starts 58Cr laundering bogus allegations with no document/proof to divert/stop us. We will not stop exposing scams of ThackeraySarkar! Will approach #MumbaiHighCourt next! @BJP4India @BJP4Maharashtra,” the BJP leader tweeted.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has accused former Lok Sabha member Kirit Somaiya and his son of misappropriation of over ₹57 crore collected in the name of saving the decommissioned naval aircraft carrier, which was scrapped in 2014.