The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will produce Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, arrested in a money laundering case, before a special court in Mumbai on Monday. The court last Thursday extended Raut's ED custody till August 8, while noting the agency had made remarkable progress in the probe into the money laundering case involving the Shiv Sena leader. The ED had then sought his further custody for eight days, saying it has unearthed a new trail of money.
Raut was arrested on August 1 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl (row tenement) in suburban Goregaon. He was produced before M.G. Deshpande, special judge for Prevention of Money Laundering Act cases, at the end of his initial ED remand.
After his arrest, probe revealed that Raut used Rs 1.17 crore of the proceeds of crime for Alibag properties in addition to Rs 1.06 crore that had come to light earlier, the ED said. As much as Rs 1.08 crore were found in the bank account of Raut's wife Varsha, the probe agency claimed.
The ED has summoned Varsha Raut for questioning, and she is expected to be confronted with her husband in connection with the case. The central agency also claimed in the court that Sanjay Raut gave evasive replies during questioning. The investigation of the case involving Rs 1,039.79 crore of proceeds of crime is at a crucial stage, the agency said.
Advocate Manoj Mohite, appearing for Raut, opposed the remand plea, saying that the matter has been investigated for long. No progress has been made in the case in the last three days, and the probe is politically motivated. After hearing the arguments, the court said that considering the fact that "some more amounts have been revealed", "remarkable progress" has been made in the investigation.
