Patra Chawl land scam case: Sanjay Raut’s judicial custody extended till September 5

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Mumbai, Aug 22: A special court on Monday further extended Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s judicial custody in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai ‘chawl’.

Raut was produced before special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court judge MG Deshpande after the expiry of his ED custody.

Raut, 60, was arrested by the ED in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl (row tenement) in suburban Goregaon. The ED said during a custodial interrogation that Raut did not explain his involvement which was within his exclusive knowledge, and gave evasive replies.

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The investigation into the case involving proceeds of crime amounting to approximately Rs 1,039.79 crore is at a crucial stage, it said.

Further investigations are required to be carried out to unearth the entire role of the accused and the involvement of other persons to identify further proceeds of crime, the ED said.

The ED’s probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl and related financial transactions involving Raut’s wife and associates.

During the earlier remand hearings, the federal probe agency claimed Raut received a benefit of about Rs 2.25 crore from the proceeds of crime. The money was allegedly used for buying property at Alibaug in the neighbouring Raigad district.

As per the ED, 47 acres of land at the Patra Chawl belongs to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and 672 tenants were living in the tenement on the plot.

The Guru Ashish Constructions obtained permission for the plot redevelopment with an additional Floor Space Index (FSI), but no actual redevelopment took place till date. The tenants were thus left high and dry, as per the probe agency.

Pravin Raut, already arrested in the case, is one of the directors of the firm.

The ED had claimed he was the front-man for Sanjay Raut.

The probe agency had earlier questioned Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut for more than nine hours in connection with the case and recorded her statement.

Sanjay Raut is a close aide of Shiv Sena president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. He has denied any wrongdoing and called the ED case against him “false”.