Sanjay Raut’s Midnight Arrest, Sena Protests, Huge Security Outside Court

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was arrested at midnight after hours of questioning in connection with the re-development of a chawl in Mumbai. Mr Raut, 60, alleged he was being targeted by the centre to weaken Team Thackeray.

Sena has planned protests across Mumbai over Mr Raut’s arrest. Speaking to , Sena’s MP in Rajya Sabha, Priyanka Chaturvedi, said that she will raise the issue in parliament. About 200 police personnel have been posted at the Enforcement Directorate’s office and the court to ensure peace.

Mr Raut’s brother said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena stands firmly behind the Raut family. “The Shiv Sena and Uddhav ji stand solidly behind us. Our legal fight (over Sanjay Raut’s arrest) has begun,” Sunil Raut told news agency PTI.

Enforcement Directorate officials had searched Mr Raut’s home for the most part of Sunday after he refused to appear for questioning despite being summoned twice.

The probe agency team reached the home of the 60-year-old Sena MP at 7 am on Sunday. But Mr Raut was taken away to the Enforcement Directorate office only in the evening. The investigators want to question Mr Raut in connection with the re-development of a chawl in Mumbai and related transactions involving his wife and close associates.

The Rajya Sabha MP of the Sena group led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will be produced before a court in Mumbai later today, where the Enforcement Directorate will seek his custody, PTI reported.

Before entering the Enforcement Directorate office on Sunday, Mr Raut told reporters the central anti-financial crime agency’s action was aimed at trying to weaken the Shiv Sena and that a “false” case was prepared against him.

The BJP hit back at the Sena leader for skipping the summons. “Why is he scared of Enforcement Directorate if he is innocent? He has all the time to give press conference but no time to visit probe agency office for questioning,” said BJP MLA Ram Kadam.

In April, the Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth over ₹ 11.15 crore of Mr Raut’s wife Varsha Raut and two of his associates. The properties include a flat in Dadar held by Varsha Raut and eight plots at Kihim beach in Alibaug jointly held by Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar, the wife of Sujit Patkar, a “close associate” of Sanjay Raut.

The agency wants to question Mr Raut to know about his “business and other links” with his close associates Pravin Raut and Sujit Patkar and also about the property deals involving his wife.

Pravin Raut was arrested in a probe linked to a ₹ 1,034 crore alleged land scam related to the re-development of Patra chawl in Goregaon. He is currently in judicial custody. Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd was involved in re-development of the “chawl”, which had 672 tenants living in tenements on 47 acres belonging to the Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority (MHADA), the Enforcement Directorate has said.