After Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut on Tuesday skipped the summons issued to her by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to join investigation in the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank scam case, the agency that investigates financial crimes has issued fresh summons and directed her to appear before it on January 5. Reportedly, this is the fourth summons sent to the Sena leader's wife.
"Enforcement Directorate issues fresh summon to Varsha Raut wife of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to appear before it on 5th January in connection with PMC Bank scam case," news agency ANI quoted an ED official as saying.
Earlier in the day, Varsha Raut had sought more time to appear before the ED. "We have sought four more days. We have full respect for the central agencies," Raut, who is Executive Editor of the Saamana Group of publications, told media persons.
A party official told IANS that the Raut family has asked the ED for time till January 5, even as Raut denied that his wife had received any notice. "I have not seen the notice. It is not with me," he said.
The ED notice has prompted a war of words between Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena and ally-turned-adversary BJP.
On Monday, Raut had alleged that central agencies were being used to "destabilise" the Uddhav Thackeray-led government and claimed he had been warned by BJP leaders about the plan for over a year. He added that was not afraid of the ED or any other central agency. However, he announced that if the BJP were to go on targeting the opposition by roping in central investigating agencies, he would reveal at an appropriate time, cases related to 120 BJP leaders which would jolt the Centre.
