Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut is in big trouble. The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets linked to Raut and his family under the anti-money laundering law.
Attached assets include eight land parcels worth Rs 9 crore in Alibaug and a flat worth Rs 2 crore in Mumbai's Dadar suburb.
The agency issued a provisional attachment under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to freeze the land parcels (plots) and flat, officials told news agency PTI.
The attachment is linked to a money laundering probe linked to a Rs 1,034 crore worth land 'scam' related to the re-development of a 'chawl' in Mumbai.
ED Statement
Reacting to the ED action, Raut said, "I am not one to get scared, seize my property, shoot me, or send me to jail, Sanjay Raut is Balasaheb Thackeray's follower & a Shiv Sainik, he'll fight & expose everyone. I'm not one to stay quiet, let them dance. The truth will prevail."
Separately, he tweeted in Hindi: "Untruth wins".
The ED had arrested Maharashtra-based businessman Pravin Raut in this case in February and later filed a chargesheet too.
The agency had also questioned Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut last year in connection with another money laundering case linked to the PMC Bank fraud case and for her purported links with Pravin Raut's wife Madhuri.
Meanwhile, the NCP has accused the BJP of indulging in politics of vendetta and misusing central agencies to muzzle the voices of opposition leaders.
"The BJP government at the Centre is misusing its probe agencies to muzzle voices of its political opponents. What is going on (in Maharashtra)? This is politics of vendetta that's going on in Maharashtra," Maharashtra NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said.
Tapase also raised questions over the timing of the Enforcement Directorate's action against Raut, saying it swung into action as soon as the Maharashtra government formed a SIT to probe Raut's allegation of extortion against some of the probe agency's officials.
The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress formed the MVA in late 2019 after the Sena broke away from long-time ally BJP over sharing of the chief ministerial tenure.
READ MORE: Modi vs Uddhav: MVA govt forms SIT to probe extortion allegations by Sanjay Raut against ED officers
