Seeking eight days’ custody of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the special PMLA court it has been ascertained that Raut and arrested accused, his friend and businessman Pravin Raut, and HDIL promoters Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan and his son Sarang Wadhawan, conspired together and hatched a conspiracy to siphon off money from the Patra Chawl redevelopment project without completing the work.
Represented by special public prosecutors Hiten Venegaonkar and Kavita Patil, the ED submitted the accused had thus jeopardized the future of 672 tenants “whose dwellings had already been demolished. ”
The ED alleged that Raut and his family benefitted to the tune of £106,000 and that the 62-year-old politician would receive Rs 200,000 from Pravin Raut every month. Special judge M G Deshpande granted ED custody only until August 4. The court said considering “the compass of inquiry and volume of matter,” it strongly felt custodial interrogation is necessary.
“It cannot be ignored that already chargesheet has been filed against Pravin Raut long back. Everything is already documented and available for prosecution to investigate. Even trail of money in accused’s wife’s bank account can be investigated by obtaining bank statements. Therefore, in my opinion, long ED custody for eight days is not warranted. . . In order to investigate crime thoroughly, prayer of ED for custody deserves to be allowed partly. Accused is remanded to ED custody till August 4. ”
Raut was produced before the court around 2.15 pm. Before he entered the courtroom, he said “Aamhala sampavnyacha daav aahe” (This is a ploy to finish us). Those accompanying him advised him to remove the saffron stole he was wearing around his neck and he obliged. Heavy security was deployed around the court premises and entry was restricted.
During the hearing that lasted a little over an hour, Venegaonkar submitted Raut had not answered two summons and had not co-operated with the investigations. “During the same period when accused Sanjay Raut, avoided joining investigation, he indulged himself in threatening the key witness (a woman), asking her not to take his name before ED and further to state that previous statements recorded by ED are under threat and pressure. Failure to do so may result in her rape and murder,” the prosecution’s plea said.
The remand plea noted the time of Raut’s arrest as 12. 05 am (a little after Sunday midnight). Just after the arrest, ED intimated the Rajya Sabha chairman through email as Raut is an RS member.
