ED summons Shiv Sena (UBT) Mumbai candidate for probe on April 8

Mumbai, March 29 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol G. Kirtikar -- the party’s candidate from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat -- for investigations on April 8, official sources said here on Friday. 

The ED has called him for the probe into the alleged money-laundering case arising out of the ‘khichdi scam’ first unravelled by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW).

After the first summons on March 27, Kirtikar, 52, had sought more time citing short notice and certain prior commitments. Now the ED has sought his presence after 10 days.

The alleged ‘khichdi scam’ pertains to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) awarding contracts to serve this humble but nutritious food to thousands of migrants stranded during the Covid-19 pandemic crisis when the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime headed by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray was in power.

After the MVA government was toppled, the EOW registered an FIR in September 2023 in the alleged scam of Rs 6.37 crore against several SS(UBT) leaders, including Sanjay Raut’s close aides Sujit Patkar and Sunil Kadam. The FIR also was filed against the officials of BMC, and employees of several catering companies.

During the probe, Amol G. Kirtikar’s name cropped up and he was quizzed by the EOW for over six hours in September 2023, and as the money-laundering angle also emerged, the ED stepped into the picture the following month.

The ED filed its own complaint and then arrested Suraj Chavan -- a close associate of SS(UBT)’s ex-minister Aditya U. Thackeray. The agency slapped attachment orders on his (Chavan) properties worth Rs 88 lakh.

BJP ex-MP Kirit Somaiya, who had blown the whistle in the scam claimed that “Amol G. Kirtikar had received Rs 1.65 crore out of the ‘khichdi scam’, and he would be held accountable”.

Amol G. Kirtikar is the son of a veteran Shiv Sena leader Gajanan Kirtikar, the sitting MP from Mumbai North West, who has allied with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the party split in June 2022.

The prestigious seat was coveted by the MVA allies Congress-Nationalist Congress Party, too, but the SS(UBT)’s unilateral announcement of Amol G. Kirtikar caused much resentment among the opposition partners.

On the other hand, the ruling ally, Shiv Sena of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is reportedly toying with the idea of fielding Bollywood actor and ex-MP Govinda Ahuja -- who joined his party on Thursday -- from Mumbai North West seat.

--IANS

qn/dpb