The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has claimed that it has enough evidence against Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, whom the agency has arrested in connection with a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act pertaining to the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl scam.
IANS has accessed Raut's arrest memo, according to which the Sena leader has been booked under Section 19 (1) of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA)."The Mumbai Zonal Office-I, on the basis of material in my possession, has reason to believe that Shri Sanjay Rajaram Raut, R/0 Maitri Niwas, Friends Colony, Bhandup East, Mumbai, has been guilty of an offence punishable under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 [15 of 2003].
"Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred on me under Sub-section (1) of Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, I, hereby arrest Shri Sanjay Rajaram Raut at 12.05 a.m on 01.08.2022 and Shri Sanjay Rajaram Raut has been informed of the grounds for such arrest," read the arrest memo of ED.
Following his arrest post midnight on Sunday, Raut was produced before a special PMLA court in Mumbai which remanded him to ED custody till August 4.The ED argued that his custodial interrogation is required in this case as he was evasive throughout the questioning.
As per the probe agency, Raut and his family members are the direct beneficiaries of the proceeds of crime. However, Raut's counsel Ashok Mundargi said that all the allegations levelled against his client were baseless and vague.
On his part, Raut has termed the entire matter as vendetta politics by the Centre.