MUMBAI: Special court in Mumbai sent Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to ED custody till August 4 in connection with the money laundering case related to financial irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra ‘chawl’ and related financial property transactions involving his wife and alleged associates. Raut was arrested on Sunday midnight after the ED conducted searches at his residence and claims to have recovered Rs 11.5 lakh unaccounted cash.
Sanjay Raut’s lawyer Advocate Ashok Mundargi told the special court in Mumbai that Raut’s arrest is politically motivated. “He is a patient with a heart-related ailment. He had also undergone surgery. Papers related to this have been presented before the court,” lawyer said.
During the remand period, Raut will be quizzed between 10 am and 10 pm over the money laundering case, officials said. He will be able to meet and speak with his lawyers from 8.30 am to 9.30 am.
Before entering the ED office, Raut told reporters that the federal agency’s action was aimed at trying to weaken the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra and that a “false” case was prepared against him
In April, the ED provisionally attached assets worth over Rs 11.15 crore belonging to his 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).