Waikar files ₹100-cr suit against Somaiya

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena legislator Ravindra Waikar has moved a defamation suit in the Bombay high court (HC) against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Member of Parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya, seeking damages of ₹100 crore.

Responding to the suit, Somaiya said that as former cop Sachin Vaze was in prison, chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was trying to recover the ₹100 crore from him through the suit.

In the suit, Waikar has claimed that Somaiya made “malicious” allegations about him not disclosing in his election affidavit the details of some property, which he allegedly purchased at Alibag, from late architect Anvay Naik. The suit has claimed that such “unsubstantiated allegations” by Somaiya has caused mental agony, and hence, Waikar sought a restraint on the BJP leader from making such statements, and to pay damages.

The suit filed by Waikar and his wife Manisha, through advocate Tamsin Monis, has averred that since January, Somaiya through various social media platforms started making allegations about the legislator involved constructing bungalows on the Alibag plot and being a beneficiary of a sizeable sum of money in the allotment of a development project by the civic body to two developers in Andheri (East).

Refuting the allegations, the couple has stated they have “at all times made full disclosures in their declarations filed before EC”. “The defendant is put to strict proof thereof as regards to all statements made by him. The plaintiffs have no concern of whatsoever nature with the two developers and are not concerned with any development granted to these persons by BMC.,” the suit stated.

The suit will come up for hearing in due course.