Kirit Somaiya questioned for three hours

Somaiya had denied the allegations of misappropriating the money raised to save the decommissioned aircraft carrier from being scrapped in 2014

Mumbai Former member of parliament and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya on Monday appeared before Mumbai police’s Economics Offences Wing (EOW) in connection with the cheating case registered against him. He was questioned for three hours.

The EOW in past had summoned Somaiya asking him to remain present before the investigators for questioning pertaining to alleged collection of donation between 2013 to 2014 in the name of saving the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant (HT PHOTO)

Somaiya reached the police commissioner’s office in south Mumbai at 11 AM. He left the commissioner’s office shortly after 2 PM during which the EOW recorded his statement. The official said that the EOW may call Somaiya again for questioning. Somaiya had denied the allegations of misappropriating the money raised to save the decommissioned aircraft carrier from being scrapped in 2014. Earlier, the EOW had issued summons to Somaiya and his son Neil Somaiya, a day after the Somaiya senior’s pre-arrest bail plea was rejected by the Mumbai sessions court on April 11.

The EOW in past had summoned Somaiya asking him to remain present before the investigators for questioning pertaining to alleged collection of donation between 2013 to 2014 in the name of saving the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, and not depositing the collected fund with the government.

As Somaiya has secured interim protection from the Bombay High Court in this matter, he has now appeared before the EOW officials. Earlier, Somaiya’s anticipatory bail application was rejected by the sessions court. Later, he moved to Bombay HC that gave him interim protection and asked him to join the probe between April 18 and April 21.

Based on a complaint lodged by an ex-serviceman, the Trombay police on April 7 registered an FIR against the Somaiyas for allegedly misappropriating about ₹57 crore collected through crowdfunding to save decommissioned INS Vikrant from being scrapped and converted into a museum.

The Bombay High Court on April 13 granted interim protection from arrest to Kirit Somaiya.

A single bench of Justice Anuja Prabhudessai had directed Kirit Somaiya to cooperate with the police’s probe into the case and asked him to “report to the investigation officer in the case for four days, beginning from April 18, between 11 am and 2 pm.”

(with inputs from PTI)