Sena MP has accused the Somaiya’s of misappropriating funds to save the decommissioned aircraft carrier Vikrant
@the_news_21
Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who has accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dr Kirit Somaiya of having misappropriated funds raised in the name of saving the decommissioned aircraft carrier Vikrant, on Monday demanded that a lookout notice be issued against Somaiya and his son Neil Somaiya as he (Raut) was “afraid” of the father-son dup trying to flee the country in connection with the case.
Speaking to newspersons here in Mumbai, Sena MP claimed that both father and son were absconding and were currently outside Maharashtra. The father-son duo was trying to put pressure from Delhi (BJP-ruled Central government) in a bid to secure anticipatory bail in the case.
Sanjay Raut alleged, “According to my knowledge, the crores of funds collected under the name of the ‘Save Vikrant’ campaign run by these two (Kirit and Neil Somaiya) have been misappropriated. They have given no account of the sum collected even after 10-12 years. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is probing the case and the scale of this scandal appears to be massive as funds have been collected not only across the State but outside the country as well.”
A bitter political showdown erupted between Sanjay Raut and Dr Kirit Somaiya, with the latter’s penchant for announcing ‘expose’s’ targeting the ruling Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leadership has now degenerated into a personal fight with the Sena MP hurling choicest expletives at Somaiya.
Sanjay Raut further remarked, “The big question is where are these two thugs (Kirit and Neil Somaiya)? And why has the BJP not made any official statement on this scam as yet? Does it support this scandal and the Somaiya’s? I am afraid they will flee the country till they ensure that they can secure anticipatory bail. While they are attempting to exert pressure from Delhi to secure anticipatory bail, the truth will prevail in the courtroom here.”
The Sena MP demanded that a lookout notice be issued for the father-son duo and claimed that as fugitive Indian businessmen Mehul Choksi and Dr Kirit Somaiya were old friends, there was a possibility that the BJP leader might well be holing out with Choksi.
Sanjay Raut further alleged that Dr Kirit Somaiya had links with scam-accused businessman Rakesh Wadhwan and that they ran “a mafia to extort money from builders.”
“This mafia gang is at present trying to prepare backdated documents and bogus evidence in favour of Somaiya through the Raj Bhavan (official residence of Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari) to prove there was no scam. I am warning the Raj Bhavan that it will lose its remaining prestige if it involves itself in something improper,” further warned Sanjay Raut.
Last week, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached Raut’s assets in Mumbai and Alibaug, the Sena leader accused Somaiya of siphoning Rs. 57 crores of funds collected from public as donation to apparently save the decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
The Shiv Sena leader had demanded that Dr Kirit Somaiya be charged with sedition as he had “committed a scam in the name of saving INS Vikrant”.
