Since the formation of the Eknath Sinde camp and BJP led coalition government in Maharashtra, the troubles for the opposition, moreover the Uddhav Thackeray camp, have been rising everyday.
A Special PMLA Court has ordered Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to remain in judicial custody till August 22, in the Patra Chawl Scam case. After the ED decided not to request his further custody but his remand in judicial custody, Special Judge MG Deshpande issued the order.
However, the court has allowed him home-cooked food and medication. After noting his health condition, ordered the jail officers to produce him before the Arthur Road prison superintendent to examine his heart condition, ensuring the proper medication.
Earlier, Pravin Raut, a close friend of MP Sanjay Raut was arrested in the case by the ED. The property of Varsha Raut, Sanjay Raut’s wife, has also been seized by the ED.
What is the entire case?
The Enforcement Directorate is looking into the potential irregularities in the reconstruction of Patra Chawl by Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd. that may have violated the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
In a tri-party arrangement with the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Guru Ashish Construction agreed to build 672 flats for Patra Chawl renters, flats for MHADA, and then sell the remaining land to private developers.
Raut was questioned for over 10 hours on July 1, however, citing the ongoing parliamentary session, he didn’t respond to the ED’s summons.
Pravin Raut, one of Guru Ashish Constructions’ directors, allegedly deceived MHADA by selling the floor space index (FSI) to nine private developers, earning Rs 901.73 crore in the process. It failed to build the MHADA’s half portion as well as the rehab component for the 672 relocated tenants.
Also Read : NDA Candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar Defeats UPA’s Margaret Alva To Become The New Vice-President Of India
ED claims that Pravin Raut, close friend of Sanjay Raut, received almost ₹100 crore from the HDIL, which he diverted to his close aides, including Sanjay Raut’s family. The ED’s Special Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegavkar claimed that Raut utilised these funds to buy homes in the Mumbai neighbourhoods of Dadar and Kihim.
