Mumbai: Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has demanded the arrest of Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut in connection with the alleged Covid Khichadi scam. Shiv Sena UBT’s Lok Sabha candidate Amol Kirtikar on Monday joined the Enforcement Directorate inquiry into the money laundering aspect of the case. However, Mr Nirupam alleged that Mr Raut is the kingpin of the scam and his entire family is involved in it.
Mr Kirtikar, who has filled a nomination from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, reached the ED office at around 12.45 pm. The ED investigators questioned him for nearly six hours. He left the ED office at 7 pm.
Mr Nirupam was also interested in contesting the Mumbai North West seat and he was upset after Uddhav Thackeray declared Mr. Kirtikar’s candidature. The Congress expelled him from the party last for the alleged anti-party activities.
Reacting to the summons issued to Mr Kirtikar, the former Congress leader said, “The ED is questioning Khichadi chor. The voters of the Mumbai North West constituency must know that their possible candidate is involved in the scam. When people were dying because of Covid, these people indulged in corruption in the name of providing khichadi to poor people during a pandemic,” he said.
Mr. Nirupam further claimed that Mr. Raut took bribes from contractors, who got contracts to supply khichdi. “When I started to unearth the scam, I found out that Mr. Raut is the kingpin. He took bribes in the names of his daughter, brother and partner. He took bribes even through cheques issued to his daughter Vidhita, who is innocent and not aware of the transaction,” Mr Nirupam said.
Earlier, the ED also questioned Mr Raut’s brother, Sandeep Raut in the case. The ED has started its money-laundering investigation based on a September 2023 first information report (FIR) of the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) that alleged there were irregularities worth Rs. 6.37 crore in the case.
Sanjay Raut's close aide Sujit Patkar is also an accused in the case. The ED has already arrested Yuva Sena leader Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, in the case.
The EOW of the Mumbai Police in September 2023 had registered a case regarding the 'khichdi' scam against Sujit Patkar, Sunil alias Bala Kadam, Sahyadri Refreshment's Rajiv Salunke and others. According to the Mumbai Police, the accused did not supply 'khichdi' to the mentioned numbers as per the invoice submitted. Also, the food packets were supposed to be 250 grams, but the contractors distributed only 125 grams of food in those packets.
