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ED grants exemption from appearance to Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut today, next summon on July 27
The federal agency had summoned Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut for another round of questioning in its office in Mumbai at 11am Wednesday in connection with the case that pertains to irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl in the city's Goregaon region.
The Enforcement Directorate has accepted Sanjay Raut's plea to exempt him from appearing before it today in an alleged money laundering case, and has summoned the Shiv Sena leader on July 27 instead. Raut is in Delhi for the monsoon session of Parliament.
"Sanjay Raut will appear on the next date," the Sena leader's lawyer, Vikrant Sabne, was quoted by news agency ANI.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that the ED granted Raut exemption from appearance till August 7.
The central agency had summoned Raut to its Mumbai office at 11am for another round of questioning about irregularities in the re-development of the Patra Chawl area in the city's Goregaon region.
Financial transactions reportedly involving his wife Varsha have also been alleged.
Raut was last questioned for nearly 10 hours on July 1.
Sena's Rajya Sabha MP, who continues to remain a loyalist of party boss and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, has, denied any wrongdoing.
He has claimed he is being targeted due to a political vendetta. The last time he was grilled by the ED, the 60-year-old legislator said he had fully cooperated with the procedure.
This development comes on a day the Supreme Court heard arguments between the rival camps in the Sena - one led by Thackeray and the other by current chief minister Eknath Shinde, whose rebellion triggered Uddhav Thackeray's downfall. The court was hearing arguments about the disqualification petition filed by the Sena against the rebels.
At the end of proceedings, Chief Justice NV Ramana said some of the issues raised needed a larger bench and rescheduled hearings for August 1. Till then, the court directed the Maharashtra speaker not to deal with disqualification petitions till further orders.
