The notice from the agency required him to appear at its South Mumbai office in connection with the acquisition of properties by his wife and associates. “I have just come to know that the ED has summoned me,” Raut said. “Okay! There are big political developments in Maharashtra. We, Balasaheb’s Shiv Sainiks, are fighting a big battle. This is a conspiracy to stop me. Even if you kill me, I will not take the Guwahati route. Arrest me! Jai Hind !”
I just got to know that ED has summoned me. Okay! There are big political developments in Maharashtra. We, b… https://t.co/Dznt11mrYi
— sanjay raut (@rautsanjay61) 1656316463000
Last week, the agency registered a case where Kapil Wadhawan, former promoter of Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) and his brother Dheeraj, is accused of cheating Sahana Group builder Sudhakar Shetty of Rs 34,615 crore loan. The ED is in the process of taking Pune-based businessman Avinash Bhosale into custody for questioning in the same case. Agency sources said the ED registered a DHFL money laundering case on the basis of a CBI FIR and found suspicious entries related to Sanjay Raut during the scrutiny of documents collected during the probe.
The second case in which Raut has been called for questioning pertains to the Rs 1,200-crore chawl redevelopment fraud involving the Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) group, its promoter Rakesh Wadhawan and sons Sarang and Sanjay Raut’s associate Praveen Raut. . Guru Ashish Construction, a subsidiary of HDIL, had taken over the redevelopment of Goregaon’s Patra Chawl after entering into an agreement with the land owner MHADA (a state government agency) and the structure’s residents. Praveen Raut Guru was the shareholder of Ashish, who got Rs 50 crore after exiting the company. Praveen Raut also received Rs 45 crore from a land deal in Palghar from HDIL Group. Earlier, the ED had arrested Praveen Raut and alleged that “Praveen Raut received Rs 112 crore in several installments from HDIL between 2008 and 2010. He failed to show valid reasons.”
The ED suspects that Praveen Raut is a front for some influential persons including politicians. In April, the ED had attached a flat owned by Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha in Mumbai and eight other plots jointly owned by him and another businessman’s wife in Alibaug, which were collectively worth Rs 11 crore. The ED had alleged that these properties were purchased with money diverted by Praveen Raut.
Sanjay Raut did not comment on the ED’s allegations about his involvement.
BJP targeting those who speak truth: Didi
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the BJP government is using central agencies to target leaders who raise their voice for truth. “Today I came to know that ED has summoned a Shiv Sena Leaders in Maharashtra they are doing it in the states,” she said. “The BJP is doing whatever it wants to do… It is using central agencies like CBI and ED against those who tell the truth,” he said. His statements came at a public rally in East Burdwan’s Goda. Last week, Banerjee accused the BJP-led Center of indulging in “hawala” politics to “undermine democracy, buy out MLAs” and destabilize elected state governments. On June 23, referring to the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs camping in Guwahati, Banerjee said, “They may send these MLAs to Bengal instead of Assam. We will give them good hospitality and don’t worry, we will also take care of democracy.”