MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut walked out of Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail on Wednesday evening, hours after a special PMLA court granted him bail in a money laundering case linked to Patra Chawl land scam.
Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 31. The court also granted bail to Sanjay Raut’s friend and alleged aide businessman Pravin Raut.
Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut were present in court. The defence had denied the allegations of money laundering.
ED had alleged that it had 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.
During his remand hearing the ED had alleged that Raut used an additional Rs 1.17 crore of proceeds from crime for purchasing land at Alibaug, while his wife Varsha received Rs 1.08 crore into her bank account. The Rauts also received Rs 1.06 crore from Pravin Raut, a key accused in the Patra Chawl redevelopment case, the ED told the court. Raut has denied the allegations.
The ED in its chargesheet had said that in 2006-07, Raut attended meetings, one with officers of Mhada. Thereafter, developer Rakesh Wadhawan through Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd (GACPL) was brought into the picture to execute the Patra Chawl redevelopment project, said the ED’s supplementary chargesheet.
The ED case is that to “exercise control” Raut inducted his “aide and confidante” Pravin Raut as director of GACPL who then sold massive free sale component of FSI in the project to other builders for Rs 1,034 crore, which amounts to ‘proceeds of crime (POC)’ from which Raut and family utilised funds for “domestic and foreign” trips and also acquired assets.
Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on July 31. The court also granted bail to Sanjay Raut’s friend and alleged aide businessman Pravin Raut.
Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut were present in court. The defence had denied the allegations of money laundering.
ED had alleged that it had 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.
During his remand hearing the ED had alleged that Raut used an additional Rs 1.17 crore of proceeds from crime for purchasing land at Alibaug, while his wife Varsha received Rs 1.08 crore into her bank account. The Rauts also received Rs 1.06 crore from Pravin Raut, a key accused in the Patra Chawl redevelopment case, the ED told the court. Raut has denied the allegations.
The ED in its chargesheet had said that in 2006-07, Raut attended meetings, one with officers of Mhada. Thereafter, developer Rakesh Wadhawan through Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd (GACPL) was brought into the picture to execute the Patra Chawl redevelopment project, said the ED’s supplementary chargesheet.
The ED case is that to “exercise control” Raut inducted his “aide and confidante” Pravin Raut as director of GACPL who then sold massive free sale component of FSI in the project to other builders for Rs 1,034 crore, which amounts to ‘proceeds of crime (POC)’ from which Raut and family utilised funds for “domestic and foreign” trips and also acquired assets.
