A Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court on Thursday remanded Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut to judicial custody till August 22 in a money laundering case linked to alleged Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl redevelopment scam.
After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) made a submission to him that it did not want to seek further custody, Judge MG Deshpande of Special PMLA court sent Raut to 14 days’ judicial custody.
Having gone through the medical papers submitted by Raut indicating his heart disease, the court allowed home-cooked food and medicines to the Sena MP while in judicial custody.
"ED has prayed to remand the accused (Sanjay Raut) to judicial custody. Accordingly, the accused is remanded to judicial custody till August 22", the Court said in its order.
Raut, who was detained by the ED on July 31 after a raid on his Bhandup residence and his questioning that lasted for more than nine hours, was formally placed under by the investigating agency at 12.05 am on August 1 under sub-section (1) of section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The PMLA court had earlier remanded Raut to ED custody till August 4.
The ED is investigating the alleged irregularities in a money laundering case pertaining to the redevelopment of Patra Chawl by Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd a subsidiary of Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL).
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 PMLA in a case relating to the alleged irregularities in the Patra Chawl redevelopment project in Mumbai.
The ED’s action came as a follow-up of the arrest of Pravin Raut under PMLA on February 4 this year in connection with an alleged finding that Pravin Raut had received Rs 100 crore from the HDIL and “diverted” it to various accounts of “his close associates, family member, his business entities” including the family of Sanjay Raut.
The ED’s allegation is that in 2010, a part of the proceeds of crime of Rs 83 lakh was transferred to Varsha Raut from Madhuri Raut, wife of Pravin Raut. “This amount was utilized by Varsha Raut for purchase of a flat at Dadar. It is also revealed that after initiation of ED investigation, the amount of Rs 55 lakh was transferred by Varsha Raut to Madhuri Raut,” the ED has said.
The ED’s another allegation is that eight plots of land at Kihim beach at Alibaug were also purchased in the name of Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar, a close associate of Sanjay Raut.
Among other things, the ED had told the court earlier that it had traced the amount of Rs 1,06,44,375 being transferred to the bank account of Sanjay Raut with his wife Varsha Raut
The ED counsel also told the court that the second allegation against Sanjay Raut related to the the purchase of certain parcels of land at Alibaug.
"Investigations have revealed that Sanjay Raut has infused/ utilised considerable amount of cash in the purchase of the land at Alibaug which has been confirmed by some other sellers and the cash component has been sourced from Pravin Raut," the ED counsel had told the court earlier..
It may be recalled that on April 5 2022, the ED had attached immovable properties worth Rs 11,15,56,573 under PMLA in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Patra Chawl redevelopment project undertaken by Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd at Goregaon in north Mumbai.
Apart from that of Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut, the other individuals -- whose assets have been provisionally attached -- are businessman Pravin Raut, a relative of Sanjay Raut, and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar who is a close associate of Sanjay Raut.
According to the ED, the attached assets are in form of lands held by Pravin M Raut, former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, Mumbai at Palghar, a flat at Dadar of Varsha Raut and eight plots at Kihim beach at Alibaug jointly held by Varsha Raut wife of Sanjay Raut and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar.