Khichdi scam: Amol Kirtikar, Suraj Chavan, 6 others charge-sheeted

In the ₹14.57-crore khichdi fraud, the contract to supply khichdi was awarded to Force One Multi Services, a private firm that sells sand and bricks, and provides security services, and that does not have a licence to supply food. The contract was bagged due to political connections and then, illegally, sub-contracted to catering firms

MUMBAI: A charge-sheet has been filed against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar, son of former Member of Parliament, Gajanan Kirtikar; party functionary Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Aaditya Thackeray; and Sujit Patkar, a close friend of party leader Sanjay Raut, in connection with alleged irregularities in the distribution of khichdi to migrant labourers and homeless people during the Covid-19 pandemic. The irregularities caused a loss of ₹ 14.75 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which had awarded the contract.

Mumbai, India - November 12, 2022: Shiv Sena Deputy Leader (UBT) and Yuva Sena General Secretary Amol Gajanan Kirtikar, son of MP Gajanan Kirtikar. (Photo: Twitter image) (Hindustan Times)

The others named in the charge-sheet are Sanjay Mashilkar, his sons Pranjal and Pritam, and Rajiv Salunkhe of Force One Multi Services; and Sunil Kadam of Sahyadri Refreshments.

In the ₹14.57-crore khichdi fraud, the contract to supply khichdi was awarded to Force One Multi Services, a private firm that sells sand and bricks, and provides security services, and that does not have a licence to supply food. The contract was bagged due to political connections and then, illegally, sub-contracted to catering firms.

The charge-sheet, filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police on Friday, has booked the accused under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention), 464 (forgery) and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The EOW had registered an offence on September 1, 2023, with the Agripada police. The agency alleged that Chavan had allegedly received ₹1.28 crore from Force One Multi Services, from the ₹3.64 crore they had received, agency sources said. This was done by allegedly showing Chavan as an employee of the firm from 2019 to 2020. The funds had been transferred to him as salary and some in the form of personal loans, from June 2020 to December 2020, agency sources added.

Chavan had helped bag the contract, which was then given to Force One, due to his proximity to senior political leaders and other influential people. The EOW probe found that preparation, packing and transportation-related work was handled by Force One Multi Services, and Chavan had apparently played no role in supplying packets of khichdi to the BMC, agency sources said.

The probe also revealed that the contractor, Force One Multi Services, did not have its own kitchen and had no licence from the department of health or the Food and Drugs Administration. It was allegedly engaged in the sale of sand and bricks, and in the security services business, and did not fit the eligibility criteria to get the khichdi supply work orders.

Kirtikar, then the Sena (UBT) candidate for the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency, was under the scanner for being an alleged beneficiary of the financial transactions with a khichdi contract vendor in 2020, during the first wave of Covid-19. He allegedly received ₹80 lakh and Sujit Patkar ₹45 lakh.

The contract was bagged when the then undivided Shiv Sena was in power in the BMC and Sena (UBT) leaders had influenced BMC officials to secure the work orders for the supply of khichdi during the pandemic.

Sanjay Mashilkar, a partner of Force One Multi Services, had earlier told the police that his firm was engaged in fire-fighting services, and had bagged the khichdi contract due to Chavan. Salunkhe had told the agency that he had got the contract. He said he had made a profit of ₹2.8 crore and had given a share to Patkar.

Suraj Chavan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the case in January 2024.