ED arrests Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in money laundering case, to be produced in court today
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Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was arrested at midnight after hours of questioning in connection with the re-development of a chawl in Mumbai.
The Shiv Sena leader was arrested after over six hours of questioning at the ED's zonal office in south Mumbai's Ballard Estate.
Raut was taken into custody at 12:05 am on Monday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was not cooperating in the probe, the officials claimed. The ED probe pertains to alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra 'chawl' and related financial property transactions involving his wife and alleged associates.
Enforcement Directorate officials had searched Raut's home for the most part of Sunday after he refused to appear for questioning despite being summoned twice.
The probe agency team reached the home of the 60-year-old Sena MP at 7 am on Sunday.
The Rajya Sabha MP of the Sena group led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will be produced before a court in Mumbai later today, where the Enforcement Directorate will seek his custody, PTI reported.
Before entering the Enforcement Directorate office on Sunday, Raut told reporters the central anti-financial crime agency's action was aimed at trying to weaken the Shiv Sena and that a "false" case was prepared against him.
The BJP hit back at the Sena leader for skipping the summons. "Why is he scared of Enforcement Directorate if he is innocent? He has all the time to give press conference but no time to visit probe agency office for questioning," said BJP MLA Ram Kadam.
In April, the Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth over ₹ 11.15 crore of Raut's wife Varsha Raut and two of his associates. The properties include a flat in Dadar held by Varsha Raut and eight plots at Kihim beach in Alibaug jointly held by Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar, the wife of Sujit Patkar, a "close associate" of Sanjay Raut.