Sanjay Raut ED case: The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at two locations in the Patra Chawl land scam case involving Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. Also, it summoned more people for questioning, after it interrogated Raut. The Sena MP was arrested after over six hours of questioning at the ED zonal office in south Mumbai's Ballard Estate shortly after Sunday midnight.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Raut's arrest, saying such targeting of the Opposition did not happen even during the Emergency imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi.
A political slugfest broke out between rival camps in Maharashtra over Sanjay Raut's arrest. Raut and his family received "proceeds of crime" worth over Rs 1 one crore generated out of alleged irregularities in a housing redevelopment project in Mumbai, the ED told the special court.
The ED made this claim while seeking Raut's custody in the money laundering case pertaining to irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra 'Chawl' (old row tenement) in suburban Goregaon and related financial property transactions involving his wife and alleged associates.
Raut, however, claimed the allegations against him were “vague” and raised out of “political vendetta” as he received full backing from Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.
Special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court Judge MG Deshpande later sent the Sena MP to the ED custody till August 4.
The federal probe agency produced him before the special PMLA court and sought his custody for eight days.
However, the Judge, after hearing defence and prosecution arguments, said "A long custody for eight days is not warranted. I'm of the opinion that if the accused is remanded to custody till August 4 that will suffice the purpose."
The ED, represented by special public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, told the court Raut and his family were direct beneficiaries of the "proceeds of crime".
As Raut fought a court battle to clear his name in the case, Thackeray drove to his close aide's residence in suburban Bhandup and met his family members.
At the Sena MP's residence, the former chief minister, who lost power in late June after a revolt in his party, met with his mother, wife, daughters and other family members.
Raut's mother and wife had turned emotional while he was being taken away by the ED on Sunday. Later, at a press conference, Thackeray described Raut as a “close friend” and addressed him by his first name. He also hailed him as a "hardcore Shiv Sainik" who did not succumb to pressure.
(With inputs from PTI)
Also Read | Trinamool terms ED action on Sanjay Raut as BJP’s 'vendetta politics'
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