Mumbai, Apr 12 (PTI) BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, accused of misappropriation of over Rs 57 crore raised to save the decommissioned naval aircraft carrier Vikrant, on Tuesday refuted the charge against him and said he will approach the Bombay High Court in the matter.
Somaiya, a bitter critic of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) in Maharashtra, in a video statement shared on Twitter said he will not stop exposing scams of the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has accused former Lok Sabha member Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil Somaiya of misappropriation of over Rs 57 crore collected in the name of saving the decommissioned naval aircraft carrier, which was scrapped in 2014.
Raut has also accused the Somaiyas of fleeing Maharashtra in the wake of the allegations against them.
A sessions court here on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail application of former Lok Sabha member Somaiya in the cheating case registered against him by Mumbai police. Apprehending arrest, the BJP leader and his son had sought pre-arrest bail from the court.
Somaiya on Tuesday said that in December 2013, the then “Congress-NCP government” decided to sell the aricraft carrier Vikrant to scrap dealers for Rs 60 crore and the BJP had condemned the move.
“We held just one symbolic event on December 10, 2013 to collect funds (for the decommissioned ship)…Rs 11,000 were raised. After 10 years, (Shiv Sena MP) Sanjay Raut is accusing Kirit Somaiya of stealing Rs 58 crore without any document or proof, the BJP leader said in the statement.
We will not stop exposing scams of the Thackeray government! Kirit Somaiya will not bow down. We will approach the Bombay High Court next, he added.
The Mumbai police last week registered a case of cheating against Kirit Somaiya and his son based on a complaint lodged by a former Army personnel.
