Raut’s wife seeks more time from ED

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena lawmaker Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut will not appear before Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in connection with the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank scam case.

She has sought time from the agency till January 5, 2021.

The ED had summoned her for questioning in the PMC Bank money laundering case.

Earlier on Monday, Sanjay Raut had said regarding the summon by the investigative agency that targeting women of a household was an “act of cowardice”. “We are not scared of anyone and will respond accordingly,” Raut had told reporters here.

In the last one year, Sharad Pawar, Eknath Khadse and Pratap Sarnaik got notices and now all of you are discussing my name. All these people are crucial for government formation in Maharashtra. These are pieces of paper, nothing else,” Raut had said.

“Targeting women of a household is an act of cowardice. We are not scared of anyone and will respond accordingly. ED needed some papers and we have submitted them in time,” he had added.

Meanwhile, BJP national executive member Kirit Somaiya questioned over Sanjay Raut’s family not responding to ED’s summon. “This is the third summon of ED. Sanjay Raut’s family is not appearing before ED. Why is his family running away? ED is investigating transactions worth crores of rupees between PMC Bank, HDIL, Pravin Raut’s family and Sanjay Raut’s family. What is the special relation between Sanjay Raut’s and Pravin Raut’s family,” Somaiya tweeted.

According to sources, this was the third summons sent to the Sena leader’s wife. She had skipped the earlier two summons too citing ill health, sources said.

In September last year, the RBI had capped the withdrawal limit and restricted the activities of the PMC Bank after an alleged fraud of Rs 4,355 crores came to light.