In a major jolt to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday detained its Rajya Sabha member and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut in connection with a money laundering case registered in the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl redevelopment scam in Mumbai.
Raut’s detention came hours after ED officials conducted raids on his residence ‘Maitri’ bungalow at Bhandup in north-east Mumbai and seizure of Rs 11. 5 lakh cash from there. The ED carried out search operations after he skipped two summons issued to him last week on the ground that he would be preoccupied till August 7 with the on-going Parliament, including the vice-presidential elections.
After grilling him for nine-long hours, the ED officials took Raut from his residence to their office at Ballard Pier in south Mumbai for further questioning. Though his formal arrest appeared to be on the cards, there was no confirmation to that effect till late in the night. Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks converged outside Raut’s residence and raised slogans against the ED over Raut’s detention.
Interacting with his party workers in front of his Bandra residence “Matoshri”, former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said that Raut’s detention was part of a conspiracy to gag him.
“I won’t be surprised if Raut is arrested. Raut has been speaking vociferously against the Centre and its investigating agencies. “Even today, he has written an article in Saamana about how the ruling party is shamelessly misusing its investigating agencies to intimidate the MPS and MLAs,” Uddhav said.
The ED’s action against Raut came nearly two months after the investigating agency attached provisionally properties worth Rs 11.15 crore belonging to three persons, including Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case relating to the alleged irregularities in the Patra Chawl redevelopment project in Mumbai.
Though the extent of Raut’s alleged involvement in the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl redevelopment scam is not known, the ED had alleged in April this year that in 2010, a part of the proceeds of crime of Rs 83 lakh was transferred to Raut’s wife Varsha Raut from Madhuri Raut, wife of Pravin Raut.
