Khichdi scam: Suraj Chavan moves HC, claims arrest illegal

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Suraj Chavan, arrested for pandemic-related khichdi distribution irregularities, claims his arrest was illegal and politically motivated.

MUMBAI: Suraj Chavan, a Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary, arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in distribution of khichdi to migrant workers and homeless people during the pandemic, has approached the Bombay high court, claiming his arrest in the case was illegal.

Khichdi scam: Suraj Chavan moves HC, claims arrest illegal

Chavan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the money laundering case related to the ₹6.37 crore contract given by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for distribution of khichdi.

In his plea, filed through advocate Harshad Bhadbhade, Chavan claimed that he was not informed of the grounds for his arrest and was never told what reasons the ED had to believe that he had committed any offence, and that such reasons were also not shown before the magistrate that remanded Chavan to ED custody. He also claimed that he had been falsely implicated as he was the secretary of Shiv Sena (UBT) and pointed out that out of all the accused, the ED had singled him out to arrest.

Chavan faces allegations that due to his proximity with senior political leaders, the work order for distribution of khichdi was awarded to the company, Force One Multi Services, by the BMC.

Force One Multi Services allegedly did not have a kitchen or a license from the health department or the food and drug administration and the company supplied khichdi to the state government at ₹33 per 100-gm packet but procured these packets at ₹16 per piece from smaller players.

The difference between the prices was then allegedly pocketed by Chavan and other persons named as accused by the ED, the agency claimed. It was also alleged that out of the ₹3.46 crore misappropriated, Chavan influenced the partners of Force One into making ₹1.35 crore worth of payments in lieu of his “salary” as an “employee of the firm”.