Sanjay Raut sent to judicial custody till August 22
A special court in Mumbai sent Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut to 14-day judicial custody on Monday. The leader has been remanded by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under a money laundering case. The development comes two days after Raut's wife Varsha appeared before the ED in connection with the Patra Chawl land scam case.
Why does this story matter?
The ED crackdown on Raut—a Sena troubleshooter—is being seen by many as a political vendetta and conspiracy by the BJP. The development comes a month after Maharashtra's Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government was toppled and rebel leader Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the CM with the support of rebel Sena MLAs and the BJP.
What did the court say?
The court directed the senior Sena leader to be sent to judicial custody until August 22. Taking note of his heart disease, the court allowed him to consume home-cooked food and his medicines, Bar & Bench reported. The bench also noted that Raut did not have any complaints of ill-treatment by the ED. Raut's legal team will not be moving a bail plea today.
Watch: Sanjay Raut brought to PMLA court
Sena leader arrested, wife summoned by ED
The 60-year-old Maharashtra politician was arrested by the ED on August 1, after a full day of searches at his house in the financial capital. ED also questioned his wife Varsha for nearly 8 hours on Saturday in the said money laundering case. The couple is being investigated for alleged fraud in the Patra Chawl (row tenement) redevelopment in Goregaon.
What is the Patra Chawl redevelopment fraud case?
The central agency is probing an alleged Rs. 1,034-crore land fraud involving the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl. Another name for Siddharth Nagar, the slum is located in North Mumbai and harbors 672 houses on an area of 47 acres. The ED claimed that Sanjay Raut's close aide Praveen Raut fraudulently sold flats designated for 672 tenants.
