Mumbai: The Mumbai Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a second closure report in the case against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil, effectively exonerating them from allegations of misappropriating Rs 57 crore raised for the preservation of the decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
This comes after a court rejected the EOW’s previous closure report in August, citing a lack of investigation into the Somaiyas’ handling of the funds.
The initial FIR alleged that the Somaiyas and their associates had collected the funds in 2013-14 through a fundraising drive, promising to hand the money over to the governor. However, Raj Bhavan later confirmed that no funds were received.
In its latest report, labelled a ‘C summary report’, the EOW claims that only Rs 12,881 was raised during a single fundraising event outside Churchgate station, and there is no evidence of substantial fund transfers or other collection drives. The report cites conflicting witness statements regarding the dates and amounts collected, adding that it seems improbable that Rs 57 crore could have been raised during a limited event.
Furthermore, the EOW states that the absence of third-party records to verify donor claims has hampered their investigation. Without concrete evidence and corroborated witness testimony, investigators have concluded that the fundraising drive was likely a symbolic public awareness campaign rather than a significant financial endeavour.
