Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Gets second ED Summon in ‘Khichdi’ scam

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday issued a second summon to Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha candidate Amol Kirtikar for questioning in his alleged involvement in the ‘khichdi’ scam.

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam commented on the matter in a post on the social media platform X.

Kirtikar, named as the Mumbai North-West constituency candidate by the party for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, ignored the initial summons on Wednesday. His father, Gajanan Kirtikar, a prominent politician aligned with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of Shiv Sena, currently holds the seat as the incumbent MP.

On January 30, Sandeep Raut, the brother of Sena (UBT) leader and MP Sanjay Raut, appeared at the ED office for questioning, dismissing the alleged scam as unfounded and politically driven. The ED had summoned Sandeep Raut for interrogation regarding the purported scam on January 28. Earlier, on January 18, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Suraj Chavan, a close associate of party leader Aaditya Thackeray, was taken into ED custody in connection with the case. Chavan was accused of financial misconduct amounting to Rs 1 crore related to the distribution of “khichdi” to migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last June, the ED conducted raids at 15 locations in Mumbai, including Suraj Chavan’s residence, uncovering documents related to the scam. The ED’s investigation alleges that agents linked to certain politicians used their influence to secure khichdi contracts from the BMC for their associates. These suppliers purportedly defrauded the BMC by delivering less than the agreed amount and submitting inflated invoices.