'Won't take the Guwahati route. Arrest me': Sena's Sanjay Raut after ED summons
"I just came to know that the ED has summoned me. Good ! There are big political developments in Maharashtra. We, Balasaheb's Shivsainiks are fighting a big battle. This is a conspiracy to stop me. Even if you behead me, I won't take the Guwahati route. Arrest me! Jai Hind! (sic)," Raut tweeted.
Shortly after he got summons in a money laundering case linked to a redevelopment project, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said he "won't go to Guwahati", suggesting that action against him by probe agencies can continue. The 60-year-old leader has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday for questioning. The summons come amid the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra and more than 40 MLAs are camping with rebel minister Ekanth Shinde in Guwahati.
Also Read| Patra Chawl redevelopment scam: ED attaches properties owned by Sanjay Raut’s wife
The top Sena leader has been extremely critical of the BJP. In April, the probe agency had attached immovable properties worth ₹11.15 crore to three people, including Raut's wife Varsha in the redevelopment scam. "I just came to know that the ED has summoned me. Good ! There are big political developments in Maharashtra. We, Balasaheb's Shivsainiks are fighting a big battle. This is a conspiracy to stop me. Even if you behead me, I won't take the Guwahati route. Arrest me! Jai Hind! (sic)," Raut tweeted.
The assets of Varsha Raut and two others- Swapna Patkar and Pravin Raut- were seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Swapna Patkar is the wife of Sujit Patkar, a close associate of Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut is a businessman. “The Directorate of Enforcement has provisionally attached immovable properties totalling ₹11,15,56,573 under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in a case relating to irregularities in the redevelopment of Patrachawl Project at Goregaon, Mumbai by M/s Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd," the central agency said in a statement on April 5.
"The attached assets are in form of lands held by Pravin M Raut, former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, Mumbai at Palghar, Saphale, Padga, flat at Dadar of Varsha Raut and plots at Kihim beach at Alibaug jointly held by Varsha Raut, wife of Sanjay Raut and Swapna Patkar wife of Sujit Patkarm,” it added.
It was earlier reported that Pravin Raut's firm had undertaken the construction project for the rehabilitation of 672 tenants of Patra Chawl at Goregaon. He was arrested in the case in February.
“During the relevant time Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan, Sarang Wadhwan and Pravin Raut were the Directors of Guru Ashish Construction. A tripartite agreement was signed between society Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and Guru Ashish Construction,” the ED said on April 5.
As per the agreement, the developer had to provide flats to the 672 tenants and develop flats for MHADA and thereafter the remaining area to be sold by the developer.
However, the ED pointed out that Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan, Sarang Wadhwan and Pravin Raut mislead the MHADA and managed to sell the Forest Survey of India (FSI) to nine developers and collected approximately ₹901.79 crores without constructing the rehab portion for the tenants and the MHADA portion.
A Money trail probe conducted till now revealed that around ₹100 crore were transferred from HDIL (a construction company) to the account of Pravin Raut. This amount was further diverted by Raut to various accounts of his close associates, family member, his business entities among others.
