Collected Rs 57cr to save INS Vikrant, allegedly swindled it: Case against BJP leader

Mumbai: The Mumbai police filed an FIR against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil Somaiya on a cheating charge filed by an ex Army man who alleged that Somaiya had swindled over Rs 57 crore collected for saving Indian Navy's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

Commissioned in 1961, INS Vikrant, a Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, had played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. It was decommissioned in 1997. In January 2014, the ship was sold through an online auction and scrapped in November that year.

The complainant said that Kirit Somaiya had started a campaign to raise funds for INS Vikrant. He said that he had given donations to Kirit Somaiya for saving the ship and the BJP leader had collected more than ₹ 57 crore for the purpose. However, instead of depositing the amount to the Maharashtra governor's secretary office, he misappropriated the funds.

Local Shiv Sena leaders had met the police authorities along with the complainant on Wednesday to raise the issue.

Based on the complaint, a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) was registered against Kirit Somaiya, his son Neil and others, the police official said.

On Wednesday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had also accussed Kirit Somaiya of siphoning off ₹ 57 crore collected from people as donations to save INS Vikrant.

Rejecting the allegation, Kirit Somaiya had said that if Mr Raut has any evidence, he should hand it over to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.