After Sanjay Raut skipped two summonses to appear for questioning in a money-laundering case, Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials searched and questioned him at his Mumbai home on Sunday. The investigation agency summoned the Shiv Sena leader on July 27 after he skipped a previous summons due to the ongoing Parliamentary session in Delhi, reports NDTV.
The probe team arrived at Mr. Raut’s home in Bandup, in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai, at 7 am, and started conducting searches with the help of CISF officials.
The 60-year-old Mr. Raut is wanted for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the redevelopment of a chawl in Mumbai and other transactions involving his wife and close associates. Mr. Raut, who supports Uddhav Thackeray, has claimed that he is the victim of political vendetta but has denied any wrongdoing.
“False action, false evidence I won’t quit the Shiv Sena. I won’t give up, not even in death… I am not involved in any scam. By accepting the Shiv Sena leader Balasaheb Thackeray’s oath, I am declaring this. We learned to fight from Balasaheb. I’ll keep up the fight for Shiv Sena,” Mr. Raut tweeted shortly after investigators from the agency visited his residence.
The Sena leader received criticism from the BJP for skipping the summons. “If he is innocent, why does he fear the Enforcement Directorate? He always has time for press conferences but never stops by the office of the probing agency for an interview,” Ram Kadam, a BJP MLA said.
On July 1, the Rajya Sabha MP was questioned for almost 10 hours, during which time his statement was recorded in accordance with the Act’s criminal provisions.
Varsha Raut, the wife of Mr. Raut, and two of his associates had assets worth over Rs. 11.15 crore attached by the Enforcement Directorate in April as part of an investigation.
Included with properties are eight plots at the Kihim beach in Alibaug that Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar, the wife of Sujit Patkar, a “close associate” of Sanjay Raut, jointly own, as well as an apartment in Dadar that Varsha Raut owns alone.
Sanjay Raut is being sought out by the agency in order to learn more about his “business and other links” with his close associates Pravin Raut and Sujit Patkar, as well as his wife’s involvement in any real estate transactions.
In connection with an investigation into an alleged Rs 1,034 crore land scam involving the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl in the Goregaon area, Pravin Raut was arrested. He is currently being held by authorities.
The Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA) owned 47 acres of the “chawl,” which had 672 tenants living in tenements there, and Guru Ashish Construction Private Limited was involved in its redevelopment, the ED had earlier stated.
The Chenab Times News Desk