Kirit Somaiya: Mumbai cop ran firms in partnership with Shiv Sena leaders

He also claimed that local Sena leaders such as Sanjay Mashilkar and Vijay Gawai are Vaze’s partners in these firms but they said Somaiya was playing ‘dirty politics’

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya on Sunday alleged that controversial Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday, had six businesses, in which some of his partners were Shiv Sena leaders. Somaiya also claimed that Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was backing the tainted cop and thus must be sacked.

Somaiya also claimed that Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was backing the tainted cop and thus must be sacked. (HT File)

“Vaze had a very close relationship with a top Sena leader. He has also formed partnership firms dealing in construction and infrastructure with Sena leaders,” said Somaiya, adding that the cop was a partner in firms such as Multibuild Infraprojects Limited, Techlegal Solutions Pvt Ltd and DGNe Multimedia Limited, of which only the last one is currently functional.

He also claimed that local Sena leaders such as Sanjay Mashilkar and Vijay Gawai are Vaze’s partners in these firms. “How can an assistant police inspector form so many companies? Where did he get the resources from? This needs to be checked by NIA,” said the BJP leader.

Mashilkar, who headed the Sena’s local unit for 13 years, defended his partnership in Multibuild Infraprojects Private Limited and said, “It was a legal private limited company and we fulfilled all the norms. It is not a crime to partner with a cop, and we had even disclosed about it,” he said.

“We, however, could not get business, and hence wound up the company within one-and-a- half months of its formation,” added Mashilkar.

Gawai, who had contested the civic polls in 2017 from Mulund, said there was no wrong in tying up with a cop.

“Somaiya is just playing dirty politics and is trying to mislead the people. We formed a firm, but it did not work well and later shut down,” said Gawai.

Somaiya also said it was also surprising that a cop from a lower rank can get direct access to the police commissioner. “This all seems too suspicious,” he added.

Vaze, who is at the centre of the investigation in connection with the mysterious death of Mansukh Hiran, an auto parts dealer whose SUV was found parked outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s home on February 25 with 20 gelatin sticks and a threatening letter, was remanded in NIA custody till March 25 on Sunday.