ED summons Sanjay Raut in Patra Chawl land scam case

Mumbai, Jun 27: Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday summoned Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday, in connection with Patra Chawl land scam case.

The summons comes at a time when the Shiv Sena party battles rebellion from a group of its MLAs, putting a question mark on the future of Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

The Rajya Sabha MP has been asked to depose before the federal agency at its office in south Mumbai on June 28 and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Reacting to the summons, Sanjay Raut has said he will not take the Guwahati route, even if he is arrested.

"I just came to know that the ED has summoned me. Good ! There are big political developments in Maharashtra. We, Balasaheb's Shivsainiks are fighting a big battle. This is a conspiracy to stop me. Even if you behead me, I won't take the Guwahati route.Arrest me ! Jai Hind!," tweeted Raut.

The probe agency had earlier attached eight land parcels in Alibaug and a flat in Mumbai's Dadar suburb linked to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and his family under the anti-money laundering law.

The case pertains to a money-laundering probe linked to a Rs 1,034 crore worth land 'scam' related to the re-development of a 'chawl' in Mumbai.

The ED had arrested Maharashtra-based businessman Pravin Raut in this case in February and later filed a chargesheet too.

The agency had also questioned Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut last year in connection with another money laundering case linked to the PMC Bank fraud case and for her purported links with Pravin Raut's wife Madhuri.