Mumbai, Mar 29 (UNI) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol G. Kirtikar, who was named the party’s official candidate for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat, an official sources said here on Friday.



The ED called him on April 8 for investigations into the alleged money-laundering case arising out of the ‘khichdi scam’ first probed by the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW).



On Thursday, he was being summoned by the central agency for appearance, but his lawyer sought exemption; however, the agency immediately issued fresh summons on Friday.



SS (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over the developments, terming it a ‘pressure tactic’ applied to the party candidate.



“The day Amol Kirtikar’s name was declared as the SS (UBT) candidate, the ED action began. It’s nothing but the BJP’s attempts to silence political opponents by deploying such pressure tactics,” slammed Raut.



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



After the MVA government was toppled, the EOW registered a FIR in September 2023 against several SS (UBT) leaders, including Raut’s close aide Sujit Patkar, Sunil Kadam, Rajeev Salunkhe of a catering company and other outfits, some BMC servants, and others, over the alleged scam of Rs 6.37 crore.



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



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