Patra Chawl case: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut sent to ED custody till August 4

Sanjay Raut was arrested on Sunday midnight after the ED conducted searches at his residence and claims to have recovered Rs 11.5 lakh in unaccounted cash.  

In connection with a money laundering case involving the renovation of a chawl in Mumbai, a court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Monday sentenced Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to four days in the care of the Enforcement Directorate.

The Sena politician was detained by the ED in connection with a money laundering investigation involving the renovation of a chawl in the capital of Maharashtra. Raut was transferred to a government hospital for examination before being brought before the court. About being arrested, Raut spent the night at the south Mumbai office of the ED before being brought to the hospital after 12:30. He could be seen waving to the reporters waiting outside the agency's office.

According to authorities, Raut will be questioned about the money laundering case between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. throughout the remand term. Between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., he can meet with and chat with his attorneys.

Following a raid on his home in connection with the alleged Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl land scam case, the Enforcement Directorate arrested him on Monday morning. The 61-year-old is regarded as Uddhav Thackeray's close aide in addition to serving as the Shiv Sena's spokesperson and executive editor of the SAAMANA Group of publications.

Thackeray criticised the BJP for arresting Raut and expressed pride in him for standing his ground in the face of pressure. "Sanjay Raut has my admiration. What sort of crime did he commit? He is a journalist and a Shiv Sainik, and he is bold in what he says," said Thackeray.

As part of this inquiry, the ED temporarily seized assets worth over Rs 11.15 crore in April that belonged to his wife Varsha Raut and two of his acquaintances. The assets are land that Pravin M Raut, Sanjay Raut's assistant and a former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, owns in the towns of Palghar, Saphale, and Padgha (in Thane district).