M’rashtra Vs SS: Raut Denies Role In Patra Chawl Land Scam

Right after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) team reached Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s residence in Mumbai on Sunday morning in connection with a money laundering case, Raut lashed out at the Centre, saying that “Maharashtra and Shiv Sena will continue to fight” and denied having any role in the case.

“Maharashtra and Shiv Sena will continue to fight,” tweeted Raut in Marathi today morning. “False action. False evidence. I will not leave Shiv Sena. Even if I die, I will not surrender. Jai Maharashtra,” the tweet read.
In a flurry of tweets, Raut asserted that he won’t quit the Shiv Sena and keep on fighting amid the ED action against him.

“I have nothing to do with any scam. I am saying this by taking the oath of Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray. Balasaheb taught us how to fight. I will continue to fight for Shiv Sena,” said Raut in a tweet.

The series of tweets further read, “Long live Shiv Sena!!! Will keep fighting..”

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) team reached Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s residence in Mumbai on Sunday morning. Raut is being investigated by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities involving the re-development of a Mumbai ‘chawl.’

Meanwhile, supporters of Raut gathered outside his residence, raising slogans against the ED and BJP.

On June 28 this year, Raut was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the money laundering case pertaining to the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl land scam. Refusing to join the probe and citing the Monsoon Session of Parliament as a reason for not joining the probe, he had then dared the probe agency to arrest him. Later, he reached the ED office.

The ED, which took Pune-based businessman Avinash Bhosale into custody earlier in connection with the DHFL-Yes Bank case, wants to grill Raut in this matter too, as per sources. They claim that the Patra Chawl case is also linked to the DHFL case.

In April, the ED provisionally attached assets worth over Rs 11.15 crore of Raut’s wife Varsha Raut and two of his associates as part of this investigation.

The attached properties are in the form of land held by Pravin M Raut, Sanjay Raut’s aide and a former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, at Palghar, Saphale (town in Palghar) and Padgha (in Thane district).

The attached properties also include a flat in Mumbai’s suburb Dadar held by Varsha Raut and eight plots at Kihim beach in Alibaug jointly held by Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar, the ED said in a statement.

According to the ED, Sujit Patkar is a close associate of Sanjay Raut. After arresting Pravin Raut in February, the ED had said he appears to be “acting as a front” or in collusion with some influential person(s).

The agency had said during the probe it was revealed he made payments to certain “politically exposed persons”. The investigative agency is probing the matter. (ANI)