Sanjay Raut seeks more time to appear before ED in money laundering case
Mumbai (Maharashtra), June 28: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who has earlier refused to appear before Enforcement Directorate (ED), sought more time from the probe agency on Tuesday.
Reportedly, ED had summoned Raut for questioning on Tuesday in the money laundering case linked to the re-development of a Mumbai ‘chawl’ and other related financial transactions involving his wife and friends.
The development comes as the Shiv Sena faces a rebellion from a group led by Eknath Shinde, raising doubts about the future of Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Raut was not available on Tuesday due to a planned visit to Alibaug (Raigad district), therefore his lawyer arrived at the ED's office at about 11.15 a.m. to seek more time, according to an official.
According to the source, the lawyer submitted a letter to the ED officials, requesting time for Raut to appear before the probe agency.
In April this year, the ED had also attached immovable properties worth Rs 11.15 crore, including a flat at Dadar, held by Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha and eight land parcels at Kihim near Alibag, jointly held by the latter with Swapna Patkar, in connection with the redevelopment scam. Swapna is the wife of Sujit Patkar, a close associate of the Sena leader.
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The federal agency said its investigation revealed that around Rs 100 crore was transferred from the real estate company, HDIL, to the account of Pravin Raut, who in turn diverted part of these funds to various accounts of his close associates, family members, and business entities.
Praveen Raut has been a director in an infrastructure company called Guruashish constructions and is stated to be a subsidiary of the HDIL (Housing Development Infrastructure Limited), an accused in the case. Pravin Raut was arrested in the past by the Maharashtra police's economic offences wing.
The federal agency has also been probing the Rs 4,300 crore PMC Bank money laundering case against Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut who was questioned last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the central probe agency. The ED is probing her role in the alleged bank loan scam with regard to the transfer of Rs 55 lakh funds by the wife of an accused in the case, Pravin Raut, apart from some other transactions.
Last year, the ED had also attached Pravin Raut's assets worth Rs 72 crore in this case and has questioned him and his wife Madhuri Raut. The agency had alleged that Pravin Raut had "siphoned off "Rs 95 crore worth of funds from the scam-hit bank in the garb of loan, out of which he paid Rs 1.6 crore to his wife Madhuri Raut who subsequently transferred Rs 55 lakh in two tranches to Varsha Raut, wife of Sanjay Raut, as "interest-free loan."
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-PTC News
