Shiv Sena spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday in a money laundering case related to the Patra Chawl land scam. Raut was first arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at 12:05 pm after interrogation that lasted for about nine hours at his house, then seven hours at the ED office in south Mumbai.
The agency also seized Rs 11.50 lakh from Sanjay’s house. ED officials said that Raut has been arrested for not cooperating in the investigation. The ED will present him in a special PMLA court on Monday and seek his remand.
The ED team reached Raut’s house in Bhandup along with the Industrial Security Force squad at 7 am on Sunday. Meanwhile, other ED teams also conducted search operations in Dadar and Goregaon. In the evening, the team left the house with the documents along with Sanjay. The ED had summoned him on July 20 and 27, but he did not appear citing the Parliament session.
Before leaving with the ED, Sanjay told the media, he is being framed. Raut was questioned on June 28 in the Rs 1040 crore chawl scam. ED sources said, Sanjay will also be questioned in the DHFL-Yes Bank scam in which Pune-based businessman Avinash Bhosle is arrested. Sources claim that both the scams are linked.
Brother Sunil Raut said, to appear in court this morning:
Sanjay Raut’s brother Sunil Raut said that Sanjay Raut has been arrested. BJP is afraid of him, so he has been arrested. They have not given us any document (regarding their arrest). He has been framed. Will be produced in the court today at 11.30 am.
Raut said, false evidence is being made:
At the same time, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that false action against me, false evidence is being made by beating people. This is only to weaken Maharashtra and Shiv Sena but Maharashtra and Shiv Sena will not be weakened. Sanjay Raut will not bow down and will not leave the party either.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut said that we will not bow before the ED or the government. We will keep fighting for Shiv Sena. We are proud of him, he has full support of the people of Maharashtra.
Raut’s lawyer said, ED seized documents:
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s lawyer Vikrant Sabne said that they (ED) have seized property documents which they find important, but they have not taken any documents related to Patra Chawl. We have accepted the ED’s fresh summons.
Sanjay Raut has been brought for questioning. He claimed that the ED has given fresh summons to Sanjay Raut this morning. On the same basis, Sanjay Raut has reached the ED office to record his statement. They have neither been arrested nor taken into custody.
Earlier on July 27, Sanjay Raut was summoned by the ED. However, he did not appear before the authorities. After this ED officials reached his house. Raut is accused of not cooperating in the investigation. If sources are to be believed, if Sanjay Raut does not answer the questions of the ED, then he can also be arrested.
Sanjay Raut’s brother statement:
Sanjay Raut’s brother Sunil Raut said that around 7 am, 20-22 officers reached Sanjay Raut’s residence with a search warrant, but they did not find any document related to the Patra Chawl case. Even after being arrested, he is not going to give up. No documents were confiscated, no inquiries were made. He said that his brother is being harassed for being close to Uddhav.
ED had attached assets worth 11.15 crores:
In the Patra Chawl case, the probe agency had in April provisionally attached properties worth Rs 11.15 crore belonging to Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut and two of his associates. The ED seized the land of Palghar, Dadar flat in Mumbai and Kihim’s land near Alibaug belonging to Sanjay Raut. Some of this land belongs to his close friend Praveen Raut and some land is in the name of Varsha and Swapna Sujit Patkar.
Sujit has a liquor business company in which Sanjay Raut’s daughter is a partner. In the raid at Sujit Patkar’s house, the ED has found some important documents from which Sanjay Raut’s link has been found. On this basis, the ED has tightened the noose on Sanjay Raut.
Swapna was threatened two days ago:
Sanjay Raut was accused of threatening him over the phone two days ago by his close aide Sujit Patkar’s wife Swapna Patkar. This audio clip has gone viral. Swapna claims that in this clip, Raut is asking to transfer a land in his and Sujit’s name.
During this, he is talking in abusive language. He even said, record this call and send it to the police. Do whatever you want But transfer the land to Sujit and in my name. Swapna has lodged a complaint with Vakola police station in Santacruz. After this the police have also registered a case.
Patra Chawl scam worth 1039.79 crores:
In 2007, an agreement was signed by the society between Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (MHADA) and Guru Construction Company for redevelopment of houses of 672 families on 47 acres of land at Patra Chawl in Siddharth Nagar, Goregaon, Mumbai western suburb. Under this agreement, the company was to make more than three and a half thousand flats and give them to MHADA.
After that the remaining land was to be sold to private developers. Rakesh Wadhawan, Sarang Wadhawan, Praveen Raut and Guru Ashish of DHIL were the directors of this company. It is alleged that the company misled MHADA and deposited Rs 901 crore by selling FSI of Patra Chawl to 9 different builders.
After that Rs 138 crore was collected in the name of flat booking by starting a new project called Meadows. But 672 people were not given their houses. In this way a scam of Rs 1039.79 crore happened in Patra Chawl scam. After that in 2018, MHADA filed an FIR against Guru Construction Company.
Sanjay Raut connection of Patra Chawl:
Praveen Raut, who was the director of Guru Construction Company, is close to Sanjay Raut. Praveen was arrested by the ED in February 2022. It is said that Praveen earned Rs 95 crore from Patra Chawl scam and distributed that money to his relatives and friends. Out of this, 55 lakh rupees had come in the account of Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut. With this amount, Raut had bought a flat in Dadar. ED has already questioned Varsha Raut. Varsha had told that he had taken this money from Madhuri, wife of Praveen Raut, to buy the flat. After ED’s interrogation, Varsha transferred the money to Madhuri’s account.
The post Sanjay Raut: Sanjay Raut arrested by ED after 16 hours of interrogation, will appear in court today appeared first on Spotlight 7.
source https://spotlight7.com/national/maharashtra/sanjay-raut-sanjay-raut-arrested-by-ed-after-16-hours-of-interrogation-will-appear-in-court-today/
Comment Policy : The owner of this blog reserves the right to edit or delete any comments submitted to the blog without notice. This comment policy is subject to change at any time. If you have any questions on the commenting policy, please let us know at [blog contact information]..