ED attaches properties worth Rs 73.62 crore of Sanjay Raut’s close aide

THE MUMBAI unit of the Enforcement Directorate ( ED) has attached immovable properties worth Rs 73.62 crore while probing a money laundering angle in the Patra Chawl redevelopment scam, taking the total attachment of the immovable properties in this case so far to Rs 116.27 crore.

The attached properties consist of several land parcels of accused Pravin Raut and his close associates in Palghar, Dapoli, Raigad and Thane. Pravin Raut is a close associate of Shiv Sena ( UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.

According to the ED, Pravin Raut was the frontman of Sanjay Raut in the Patra Chawl scam. Pravin and Sanjay were both arrested by the ED in the case in 2022. The two later got bail in November 2022.

Pravin Raut diverted funds

The ED probe revealed that a part of the proceeds of the crime ( POC), amounting to Rs 95 crore, was diverted by Pravin Raut, director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd ( GACPL), to his personal bank accounts.

Part of the proceeds were utilised for acquisition of various land parcels directly from farmers or land aggregators in his own name or in the name of his f irm Prathmesh Developers. Also, a part of the POC was parked by him with people associated with him.

“Further, some properties acquired by Pravin Raut out of the POC were later gifted by him to his family members. Such identified proceeds of crime... have been attached, amounting to Rs 73.62 crore,” the ED said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ED'S money laundering probe in the case is based on Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing's FIR pertaining to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl project in Mumbai's Goregaon. The redevelopment was carried out by the GACPL and Pravin Raut was the director of the said firm.