Noose is tightening around Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut with every passing day. As per the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sources, it has concrete evidences against the leader.
The ED has unearthed several transactions that clearly reveal shoddy dealings of Sanjay, his close associates and family members. Sources said Pravin Raut, said to be the frontman of Sanjay, had transferred Rs 55 lakh from his account to Varsha Raut, wife of Sanjay. The transfer
took place in 2009-two years after the conspiracy was hatched. The money was used to buy a flat in Mumbai.
Later in 2011, Pravin’s firm, Prathamesh Developer, received an investment of Rs 29.50 lakh from Sanjay and his wife. Within a month, Rauts were returned their investment along with an additional Rs 37.50 lakh as profit. This money was used to buy a flat in Garden Court.
ED sources said Sanjay along with Pravin set up several companies to route the proceeds of crime generated from Patra Chawl project. One such company was Avni Infrastructure. Rs. 13.94 lakh was shown to have been received by Varsha Raut as return on her investment of Rs. 5,625 in Avani Infrastructure, a firm floated in the name of Pravin Raut’s wife Madhuri. Claiming the Shiv Sena MP was also part of the larger conspiracy hatched by Rakesh and Sarang Wadhawan of HDIL and Pravin. All together siphoned off money from the Patra Chawl project without completing it.
ED on Monday told a special PMLA court in Mumbai that former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd Pravin was the frontman of Sanjay in the scam.
The act has jeopardised the future of 672 tenants whose dwellings had already been demolished
In another development, the ED on Tuesday summoned some more people in connection with the money laundering case. Earlier in the day, the probe agency conducted raids at two different locations in Mumbai in connection with the scam.
Raut is currently in the custody of the ED in a money laundering case related to irregularities in a chawl re-development project in Mumbai’s Goregaon area. He has been sent to ED’s custody till August 4.