When asked if Varsha could be arrested, the ED source declined to comment
A day ahead of her appearance before the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Varsha Raut, wife of Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut, on Friday met a team of lawyers. She was accompanied by Raut’s brother Sunil.
Varsha has been summoned at 11am on Sunday.
The agency has already arrested Sanjay Raut, who will be in ED custody till August 10, in connection with the Patra chawl scam.
According to ED sources, there is a strong possibility that the couple may be jointly interrogated by the agency. “Varsha Raut was a beneficiary of the proceeds of the crime of money laundering. Her questioning with her husband is likely.”
When asked if she could be arrested, the source declined to comment.
THE ED CLAIMS
According to ED, Pravin Raut, the main accused in the scam who was a director of Guru Ashish Construction Private limited, transferred money (proceeds of crime) to bank accounts of Sanjay Raut’s family.
The Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) gave the tender to redevelop the chawl in Mumbai’s suburbs of Goregaon to Guru Ashish Construction Private Limited. Pravin Raut, believed to be a close aide of Sanjay Raut, allegedly transferred Rs 1.08 crore to Varsha’s account as part of a kickback deal, according to the ED.
When Raut was questioned about the money trail, the ED claims he was evasive.
“A part of the amount was used to purchase a flat in Dadar, which is in Varsha Raut’s name. Some of it was also used to purchase properties in Alibaug. We are trying to establish the financial trail,” added the source.
The agency has already attached the flat in Dadar and the properties in Alibaug.
QUESTIONING
Meanwhile, on Friday, original owners of the properties in Alibaug were questioned briefly by the agency. Others, too, will be summoned soon.
The ED is looking into the alleged claim that the original property owners were forced into selling their plots at throwaway prices under the influence of Raut.
The ED claims that Raut also funneled Rs 1.17 crore, which were proceeds of the crime, to purchase the properties at Kihim beach in Alibaug.
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