MUMBAI, May 10 -- A charge sheet has been filed against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Amol Kirtikar, who is the son of former Member of Parliament, Gajanan Kirtikar; party functionary Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Aaditya Thackeray; and Sujit Patkar, a close friend of party leader Sanjay Raut, in connection with alleged irregularities in the distribution of khichdi to migrant labourers and homeless people during the Covid-19 pandemic. The irregularities caused a loss of Rs. 14.75 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which had awarded the contract. The others named in the charge sheet are Sanjay Mashilkar, his sons Pranjal and Pritam, and Rajiv Salunkhe of Force One Multi Services; and Sunil Kadam of Sahyadri Refreshments. In the Rs.14.57-crore khichdi fraud, the contract to supply khichdi was awarded to Force One Multi Services, a private firm that sells sand and bricks, and provides security services, and that does not have a licence to supply food. The contract was bagged due to political connections and then, illegally, sub-contracted to catering firms. The charge sheet, filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police on Friday, has booked the accused under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (common intention), 464 (forgery) and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The EOW had registered an offence on September 1, 2023, with the Agripada police. The agency alleged that Chavan had allegedly received Rs.1.28 crore from Force One Multi Services, from the Rs.3.64 crore they had received, agency sources said. This was done by allegedly showing Chavan as an employee of the firm from 2019 to 2020. The funds had been transferred to him as salary and some in the form of personal loans, from June 2020 to December 2020, agency sources added. Chavan had helped bag the contract, which was then given to Force One, due to his proximity to senior political leaders and other influential people....