The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted interim protection from arrest to BJP leader Kirit Somaiya for alleged misappropriation of funds collected in the name of rescuing decommissioned naval aircraft carrier Vikrant. A single bench of Justice Anuja Prabhudesai said that in case of arrest in the case, Somaiya be released on a personal bond of Rs 50,000.
Justice Prabhudesai also directed Somaiya to cooperate with the police investigation in the case and asked him to “report to the investigating officer in the matter for four days from April 18, between 11 am and 2 pm.” After two weeks, the bail application forward on April 28. The complaint states that Rs 57 crore from the public for the reinstatement of Vikrant in 2013. However, as per the initial plan, the funds were not utilized or deposited in the office of the Governor. On Wednesday, advocate Ashok Mundargi, who appeared for Kirit Somaiya, told the HC that it was a “highly politicized matter”.
He said Somaiya had led a collection at the Churchgate station in Mumbai, as part of several earlier missions for the decommissioned naval aircraft carrier. Mundargi said, “In December 2013, Rs 11,224 was collected at an event at Churchgate. In 2014, the state government, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (with an initiative to restore the warship) backed down and Vikrant was ousted. When the court asked whether Somaiya knew what happened to the Rs 11,000 collected from Churchgate, Mundargi said he was not sure.
“The governor did not respond to our letter on this amount collected by us. The money must have been lying with a party worker or deposited somewhere. complainant. “We need some time and we need his (Kirit Somaiya’s) custody. He (Somaiya’s) is not traceable. We could not trace him. 41-A CrPC notice (asking him to report for questioning) Had to be pasted at his residence, we couldn’t serve it,” Gupte said.
Mundargi, however, told the high court that the BJP leaders were ready to cooperate with the police investigation. He said Kirit Somaiya had left Mumbai as he feared that he would be arrested without giving him an opportunity to approach the court. In a relief to the BJP leader, the HC took note of the fact that the allegations made in the FIR were “vague” and were mainly based on news reports. “Prima facie, apart from the complaint which is so vague and completely based on the media. The report, there is no basis for the complaint. Unfortunately, from 2013 to 2022, nothing was done, no complaint was filed, “The High Court said. “In the light of the above, it is a fit case for grant of interim relief,” the HC said.
Commissioned in 1961, INS Vikrant, a Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy, was instrumental in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. It was removed in 1997. In January 2014, the ship was sold through an online auction and was scrapped in November of that year.
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