MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday attached property worth Rs 11.15 crores belonging to Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut. The properties of the MP at Alibaug and Dadar were attached by the ED.
Sanjay Raut described the ED action as "vendetta politics" of the BJP for not getting his help to form the government in 2019.
Raut said BJP wants to topple the Maharashtra government led by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. Since he did not cooperate the party is targeting him through central agencies like ED and Income Tax.
“I am a Shiv Sainik and a supporter of Balasaheb Thackeray. I will not bow nor succumb to BJP and the central agencies, which serve as stooges of the party in power at the Centre. If BJP proves that the charges levelled by ED under the money laundering act are true, then I will permanently leave politics and donate my properties to BJP. We have bought the properties with our hard-earned money. BJP is targeting the middle-class Marathi manoos through the central agencies,” Raut said.
Maharashtra Home minister Dilip Walse Patil said that BJP wants to topple the Mava Vikas Aghadi therefore they are blatantly misusing the central agencies against Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders. “However, there is no threat to the government in Maharashtra. MVA government will complete the full five years term. The ED action against Sanjay Raut is nothing but vendetta politics,” Walse Patil said.
Shiv Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray said looking at the series of ED actions against non-BJP leaders, makes one wonder whether there is any democracy left in India. “Why only Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders and ministers are targeted by central agencies? It is a political vendetta by BJP against Mava Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra,” Thackeray said.
According to a statement issued by the ED, they provisionally attached the properties of developer Pravin Raut, Varsha Raut, spouse of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and Swapna Patkar on Tuesday in connection with the Patra Chawl land scam. The attacked properties' total worth is Rs 11.15 crore. The actions by ED have been taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) in a case relating to irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patrachawal Project at Goregaon, Mumbai by M/s Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd.
The attached assets are in form of lands held by Pravin Raut, former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, Mumbai at Palghar, Saphale, Padga, flat at Dadar of Varsha Raut and plots at Kihim beach at Alibaug jointly held by Varsha Raut wife of Shri Sanjay Raut and Swapna Patkar wife of Shri Suit Patkar.
Meanwhile, a PTI report said that Raut pointed out that the ED action came on a day when the Mumbai Police formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of extortion against the central agency's officers.
Last month, the Rajya Sabha MP had alleged that some ED officers were running an extortion racket.
The Shiv Sena leader also tweeted "Asatyamev Jayate" (lie has triumphed) after the action by the financial crimes probe agency.
The ED has attached eight land parcels in Alibaug in adjoining Raigad district and a flat in Mumbai's Dadar area linked to Raut and his family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The attachment is linked to a money laundering probe related to a Rs 1,034 crore worth land 'scam' related to the re-development of a 'chawl' (old row tenements) in Mumbai.
The ED had arrested Maharashtra-based businessman Pravin Raut in this case in February and later filed a charge-sheet against him.
"This (ED action to attach property) is an act of vengeance against middle class Marathi manoos (Marathi people). The entire Maharashtra should know about this," the Sena MP said.
"I am not scared of anyone. I will not bend. This is my hard-earned money," he added.
Raut said he received phone calls from several political leaders, including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar, who expressed concern over the ED's action.
(With inputs from PTI)