The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Sunday detained Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut after hours of search at his Mumbai residence in connection with a money laundering case. ED officials took the Sena leader to the agency's office in Mumbai. The Rajya Sabha MP left from his house in his own car as a huge number of Sena supporters gathered in the vicinity.
His advocate, however, said Raut has neither been detained now arrested and the MP has come to the ED's office after receiving fresh summons. “The ED has given a fresh summon to Sanjay Raut, today morning. On that basis, Sanjay Raut has come to the ED office to record the statement. He has neither been arrested nor been detained,” said Raut's advocate Vikrant Sabne.
Speaking to reporters, Raut said false charges and documents are being framed against people, adding all of this is being done to weaken the Shiv Sena and Maharashtra. “Sanjay Raut won't be cowed down. I will not leave the party,” he further said.
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Sunil Raut, the Sena MP's brother the ED officers did not find anything related to the Patra Chawl case despite searching since 7am. He was not questioned either. “Around 7am, 20-22 officers arrived at Sanjay Raut's residence with search warrants, but they did not find any document related to Patra Chawl case. Even if he gets arrested, he'll not bow down. No documents were seized, no questioning was done,” Sunil Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
{{/usCountry}}Sunil Raut, the Sena MP's brother the ED officers did not find anything related to the Patra Chawl case despite searching since 7am. He was not questioned either. “Around 7am, 20-22 officers arrived at Sanjay Raut's residence with search warrants, but they did not find any document related to Patra Chawl case. Even if he gets arrested, he'll not bow down. No documents were seized, no questioning was done,” Sunil Raut was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
{{/usCountry}}The search operation followed two summonses issued by the ED against Raut, the latest being on July 27. Raut was summoned for questioning by the ED in a money laundering case linked to the alleged irregularities in the re-development of a Mumbai 'chawl' and related transactions involving his wife and 'associates'.
Sanjay Raut, editor of the Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, had appeared before the agency in Mumbai to record his statement on July 1 in connection with the case.
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After that, the ED had summoned him twice, but he had skipped the summonses citing his engagement with the ongoing Parliament session. At 7 am on Sunday, ED officials, accompanied by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, reached Raut's 'Maitri' bungalow located in suburban Bhandup, and began the search.
The Rajya Sabha member, who is in the Uddhav Thackeray camp of the Shiv Sena, has denied any wrongdoing and alleged that he was being targeted due to political vendetta.
"I swear by late Balasabheb Thackeray that I have nothing to do with any scam," Raut tweeted shortly after the ED action began. "I will die but won't leave Shiv Sena," Raut added.
(With inputs from agencies)