Twenty months after registering an FIR in the alleged Khichdi scam, Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Friday filed a chargesheet against eight people including Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut’s close aide Sujit Patkar, Sena (UBT) leader and Yuva Sena functionary Amol Gajanan Kirtikar, and Shinde Sena leader Sanjay Mashilkar and his two sons.
While probing the Rs 6.27 crore scam in the distribution of khichdi to migrants in Mumbai during the Covid-induced lockdown, EOW has found that the accused were involved in illegal acts and made wrongful gain worth Rs 14.57 crore.
The EOW registered an FIR in the case in September 2023.
In a statement released on Friday, the EOW said that after finding sufficient evidence, they have filed a chargesheet in the Khichdi scam before the 47th court in Esplanade Court.
As per EOW statement, the chargesheet has been filed against Sunil Ramchandra Kadam alias Bala Kadam, Rajeev Salunkhe, Sujit Patkar, Sanjay Mashilkar, Pranjal Mashilkar, Pritam Mashilkar, Suraj Chavan and Amol Gajanan Kirtikar.
All the accused have been chargesheeted under sections for cheating (420), breach of trust (406), breach of trust by a public servant (409), criminal conspiracy (120-B) and acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention (34) of the Indian Penal Code.
According to the agency, between April 2020 and July 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the accused, knowing that they did not meet the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) eligibility criteria for the distribution of khichdi, managed to wrongfully get a work order for khichdi distribution for wrongful gains.
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Besides this, knowing that 300 gram of khichdi packets were to be distributed, they cheated the BMC by purchasing khichdi packets weighing 100-200 grams at various rates of approximately Rs 22 to Rs 24 per packet and later took Rs 33 and GST per packet from the civic body, duping defrauding the BMC of Rs 6.27 crore, the EOW stated.
As per the EOW’s statement, Sanjay Mashilkar and his sons Pranjal Mashilkar and Pritam Mashilkar, owners of Force One Multi Services, obtained khichdi from Sanjay Mali of Sneha Caterers, without informing him about the khichdi distribution scheme of the BMC.
They used his food license and health license and obtained the work order for khichdi distribution from the BMC with the help of Suraj Chavan and Amol Kirtikar, the agency stated.
Also, while they have not signed any MoU with Sanjay Mali for the distribution of 300 grams of khichdi, they prepared fake documents to mislead the investigation agencies, hence sections of forgery (465, 468 and 471) of Indian Penal Code have been added in the case.
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The eight accused, including partners of Vaishnavi Kitchen / Sahyadri Refreshment Sunil Ramchandra Kadam alias Bala Kadam, Rajiv Nandkumar Salunkhe and Sujit Mukund Patkar, have wrongfully gained Rs 14.57 crore from the khichdi distribution scam, the EOW stated.
Based on EOW’s FIR, the Enforcement Directorate too had registered a money laundering case in the matter. Both EOW and ED had made several arrests in the matter including Sujit Patkar and Suraj Chavan.
Investigation in the alleged khichdi scam was initiated after BJP’s former MP Kirit Somaiya had raised objections over the BMC’s spending on khichdi during the pandemic.