ED summons Sanjay Raut, Sena MP cries conspiracy

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday for questioning in a money laundering probe linked to the re-development of a Mumbai 'chawl' and other related financial transactions involving his wife and friends, officials said.

The Rajya Sabha MP, who has been asked to depose before the ED at its office in south Mumbai and record his statement under the

Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), termed the summons a conspiracy and said, "Arrest me".

The development comes as the Shiv Sena battles rebellion from a group of its MLAS, putting a question mark on the future of Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Rebel Shiv Sena legislators, who were first taken to Surat, are now camping in Guwahati. "I just came to know that the ED has summoned me.

"Good! There are big political developments in Maharashtra. We, Balasaheb's Shivsainiks, are fighting a big battle. This is a conspiracy to stop me. Even if you behead me, I won't take the Guwahati route.

"Arrest me! Jai Hind!" a defiant Raut said on Twitter.

In April, the ED provisionally attached assets worth more than ~11.15 crore of Raut's wife Varsha Raut and two of his associates as part of this investigation.

The attached properties are in the form of land held by Pravin M Raut, Sanjay Raut's aide and a former director of Guru Ashish Construction, at Palghar, Saphale (town in Palghar) and Padgha (in Thane district). The attached properties also include a flat in Mumbai's suburb Dadar held by Varsha Raut and eight plots at Kihim beach in Alibaug jointly held by Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar, the ED said in a statement.

According to the ED, Sujit Patkar is a close associate of Sanjay Raut.