The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it has summoned Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a money-laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl project in Goregaon by a private firm, Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd. Raut has been asked to appear before the ED today.
Raut, however, said he will ask for more time. “If they give me time, it’s okay, or else I will go there,” he said.
In April, the ED had provisionally attached properties nearly worth Rs 11.15 crore in the case. The attached assets were in the form of land held by Pravin Raut, former director of Guru Ashish at Palghar, Saphale and Padgha, a flat at Dadar belonging to Raut’s wife Varsha and plots at Kihim Beach at Alibaug, jointly held by Sanjay Raut, his wife and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar. The ED had already filed a chargesheet against businessman Pravin Raut.
The agency had earlier claimed in a statement, “Money trail investigation had revealed that around Rs 100 crore was transferred from Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) to the account of Pravin Raut. As per the ED, this amount was further diverted by Pravin Raut to various accounts of his close associates, family members, and his business entities. It is also revealed that in 2010, a part of the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 83 lakh was received by Varsha Raut directly/ indirectly from Madhuri Pravin Raut, wife of Pravin Raut. The ED said this amount was utilised by Varsha Raut for purchase of a flat at Dadar.
It was also revealed that after initiation of the ED investigation, Rs 55 lakh was transferred by Varsha Raut to Madhuri Raut. There are also various other transactions, the agency said. Further, during the aforementioned period, eight plots of land at Kihim beach at Alibaug were also purchased in the name of Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar.
In this land deal, the ED said, apart from the registered value, cash payments were made to the sellers. On identification of these assets and other assets of Pravin Raut, a provisional attachment order attaching all these assets of Pravin Raut and his associates has been issued.
