Kirit Somaiya vs Raut continues
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut on Monday alleged that an NGO Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya’s family runs received donations from companies facing probes by central investigating agencies and that the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing will probe them.
Somaiya’s wife, Medha, filed a police complaint in Mulund accusing Raut of “character assassination”. Kirit Somaiya said the allegations levelled against them were out of vendetta politics as he has been unearthing the corruption by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and his government. He said if an FIR was not lodged against Raut, he would file a criminal defamation suit next week.
In the written complaint to the police, Medha Somaiya has said, “On April 16, Raut leveled malicious and unwanted mischievous statements against me claiming that Dr Medha Somaiya and Yuvak Pratishthan had indulged in a Rs 100 crore scam. The statements are, I believe, made to criminally intimidate me and to cause harm to my reputation and character. Such statements are an assault on my dignity as a woman... I hereby request you to register an FIR under section 503, 506 and 509 of Indian Penal Code.”
In a series of tweets, Raut said the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in 2016, probed the allegations Somaiya levelled against a company in 2013-14. He added in 2018-19, the company made a “huge” donation to Yuvak Pratisthan, the NGO. He asked if it was “extortion” or money laundering.
Raut had earlier accused Somaiya of misappropriating funds collected to save decommissioned INS Vikrant from getting scrapped. Raut also accused him of being involved in a scam in the construction of toilets by the NGO. “I have all the evidence of all the donations Yuvak Pratisthan got during the Fadnavis government. These donations were sought by misusing the central agencies,” Raut said.
Reacting to a complaint filed against him, Raut said, “I do not know who has complained. But he [Somaiya] is accused of the misappropriation of funds in the INS Vikrant scam and is out on bail. He can lodge a false complaint; it is fine.”