ED searches Sanjay Raut's residence; Shiv Sena leader calls it 'false case'

New Delhi, July 31: The Enforcement Directorate team reached Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's residence, in connection with Patra Chawl land scam case. The action follows two summonses issued by the ED against Raut, the latest being on July 27.

Raut was summoned for questioning by the ED in a money laundering case linked to the alleged irregularities in the re-development of a Mumbai 'chawl' and related transactions involving his wife and 'associates'.

He had appeared before the agency in Mumbai to record his statement on July 1 in connection with the case. After that, the ED had summoned him twice, but he had skipped the summonses citing his engagement with the ongoing Parliament session.

At 7 am on Sunday, ED officials, accompanied by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, reached Raut's 'Maitri' bungalow located in suburban Bhandup, and began the search.

The Rajya Sabha member, who is in the Uddhav Thackeray camp of the Shiv Sena, had denied any wrongdoing and alleged that he was being targeted due to political vendetta.

"...False action, false evidence...I will not leave Shiv Sena...Even if I die, I will not surrender...I have nothing to do with any scam. I am saying this by taking the oath of Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray. Balasaheb taught us to fight. I will continue to fight for Shiv Sena," Raut tweeted.

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.