[INS Vikrant fund misappropriation case] BJP's Kirit Somaiya moves Bombay High Court for anticipatory bail

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya has approached the Bombay High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a case of misappropriation of funds registered by the Mumbai Police..Somaiya and his son have been booked for allegedly misappropriating over ₹50 crores collected to save the aircraft-carrier INS Vikrant from being decommissioned.The entire campaign was said to be for saving the aircraft carrier from decommissioning and to convert the ship into a museum.The complaint arose after an ex-Army person filed a complaint with the Trombay Police that he had not been granted a receipt for the money he had donated to the funds.A case was then registered against the Somaiya and his son at the Trombay Police Station in the city.After the Mumbai Police issued summons, instead of responding to the summons, the applicants approached the Sessions Court for anticipatory bail.Additional Sessions Judge RN Rokade rejected Somaiya's anticipatory bail on Monday. .Somaiya's argument was that the case was borne out of political vendetta and the first information report (FIR) was registered with political move, hence he ought to be granted protection. He stated that the fund-raising act took place in 2013 and the decommissioning took place in 2014. The present case was registered after 9 years.Somaiya had raised the following grounds before the Sessions Court:The campaign was launched not only by BJP, but also Congress and Shiv Sena;The programme was by a political party, and hence utilisation of funds was not the applicant’s concern;The objection to not having received a receipt was taken in 2022 by the complainant and not before;Somaiya is no more a politician, but is a party supporter and leader; in any case, the programme was by a political party and not any individual;The present case was registered to counter the allegations against the ruling party;That there is nothing which stops them from checking into the bank accounts and bank statements to check the funds..Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.