MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut used an additional Rs 1.17 crore of crime proceeds to buy land in Alibaug, while his wife Varsha received Rs 1.08 crore to her bank account, Executive Board (ED) notified the special PMLA court on Thursday. Rauts also received Rs 1.06 crore from Pravin Raut, a key defendant in the Patra Chawl redevelopment, ED told the court.
While seeking an eight-day extension of the guardianship of MP Rajya Sabha, the ED said his response to the transactions has so far been evasive. The court extended his guardianship until August 8, and said “significant progress” had been made in the investigation. Raut was arrested on Monday. The agency also summoned his wife to record her testimony in the case on Friday.
ED is currently in the process of documenting reports of people who received cash from Sanjay Raut for the Alibaug land he allegedly purchased using payments from a developer involved Mahada project. Those who deposited money into his wife’s account are also being questioned.
The ED called those involved in the Alibaug land deal to document their claims Friday and Saturday. The ED informed the court that “the names of the persons were not disclosed in this application to remain (Raut) so that those persons are not affected by the defendant.”
The ED alleges that these “documents demonstrate… the purchase of real estate in Alibaug and substantial cash transactions with landowners.” The agency also alleges that Raut threatened landowners near Kihim beach in Alibaug to sell their land to him.
ED has summoned Varsha Raut for questioning as most of the funds deposited into her account were traced to Pravin Raut, the main accused in the Patra chawl redevelopment.
Spokesman Sena’s log application said, “When an investigation involving several bank accounts was conducted in the presence of Sanjay Raut, it was revealed that some funds had been received. in Varsha Raut’s account..” Raut gave an evasive answer as the ED alleges why these huge sums were being paid to his wife. ED is checking KYC documents and statements of the respective bank accounts.
ED is represented by special prosecutors Hiten Venegaonkar and Kavita Patil.
Giving guardianship to the agency until Monday, special judge MG Deshpande said that “substantial progress” has been made in the investigations. The judge said traces of the payments of Rs 1.17 crore and 1.08 crore were not available to the court as it had previously limited the defendant’s remaining until Thursday.
“Considering the fact that several other funds have been disclosed and the ED’s bank statements and statements that point to deeper traces, there is considerable progress in the investigation. The court said, “It is not possible to justify the senior counsel’s argument against the defendant (against the continuation of the investigation) because the investigation in the PMLA cases is exceptional,” the court said.
The judge added that the ED must investigate the source of the dirty money and how the same money got into the system. “Secondly the ED must investigate how the proceeds are segregated from their criminal origins by moving them through a series of transactions that make it more difficult to establish a connection between them. Third, there must be a legal source of capital that allows them to store, use and acquire goods upon integration. Certainly, the investigative facts demonstrate three stages, and they require further investigation, by summoning witnesses and confronting the accused,” the judge said.
Senior adviser Manoj Mohite representing Raut argued that no new charges were brought against Sena in the defense. He added that similar questions were asked of Raut both during his detention and when he was summoned before. “There is currently no real need for proven custody. Investigations can be conducted independently without him being detained. All his assets are disclosed to Parliament because he is a congressman. He also filed his income tax return,” Mohite filed.
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