What is Patra Chawl land scam?

Mumbai. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut is trapped in a money laundering case related to Patra Chawl land scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him late at 12 o’clock. According to ED sources, 11.5 lakh cash has been found from Raut’s house. Raut could not give account of this cash, after which the ED confiscated it. Dozens of Shiv Sena workers have reached outside Sanjay Raut’s house and sat on dharna. At the same time, Sanjay Raut claims that he is being falsely implicated, he has nothing to do with this scam. He is calling this action politically motivated.

The Patra Chawl land scam started in 2007. The scam is alleged to have happened with the connivance of Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA), Praveen Raut, Guru Ashish Construction and Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL). In 2007, MHADA entrusted the work of redevelopment of Patra Chawl to Guru Ashish Construction. This construction was to be done in Siddharth Nagar of Goregaon. A total of 672 houses have been built in 47 acres of land of MHADA. After the redevelopment, Guru Ashish was to give more than three and a half thousand flats to the company. After constructing the flats for MHADA, the remaining land was to be sold to private developers. Even after 14 years, the company did not give flats to the people.

What is the connection of Sanjay Raut?
It is alleged that instead of building a flat, Guru Ashish Construction sold 47 acres of land to eight different builders. From this the company earned Rs 1034 crore. In March 2018, MHADA lodged an FIR against Guru Ashish Construction. The matter was referred to the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW). EOW arrested Praveen Raut in February 2020. It is said that Praveen Raut is close to Sanjay Raut. He was a director in HDIL along with Sarang Wadhawan and Rakesh Wadhawan in the company. The Wadhawan brothers are the main accused in the PMC Bank scam. Praveen Raut was granted bail by the court, but Praveen was arrested by the ED in the PMC Bank scam case.

Does Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha Raut also have a connection in this?
Praveen Raut was arrested and questioned by the ED. After that Sujit Patkar’s name came in this case. ED raided the premises of Sujit Patkar. Many important documents were found in the raid. ED investigation revealed that Madhuri Raut, wife of Praveen Raut, gave a loan to Varsha Raut, wife of Sanjay Raut. This loan was of Rs 55 lakh but it was passed without any loan from the bank. Varsha Raut bought a flat in Dadar with Rs 55 lakh taken from the bank. ED questioned Varsha Raut in connection with this flat.

Is Sanjay Raut’s daughter also involved in this scam?
It is alleged that Pravin Raut got Rs 95 crore as commission in the MHADA land deal. The link of Sujit Patkar, whose name surfaced and was raided by ED, is also being linked to Sanjay Raut. Sujit is considered close to Sanjay Raut. Apart from this, Sujit Patkar has a wine trading company, in which Sanjay Raut’s daughter is his partner.

Varsha Raut’s assets worth Rs 2 crore seized
Let us tell you about the land scam in which Sanjay Raut is tightening the noose. There is an allegation of scam of about 1034 crores in Patra Chawl land scam. In this case, assets worth Rs 9 crore of Sanjay Raut’s aide Praveen Raut and Rs 2 crore of Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha have been attached.

What does Sanjay Raut have to say in the matter?
Sanjay Raut has termed all the allegations as false. He said, ‘I am not involved in any scam. The ED has taken action on the basis of wrong information. I swear by late Balasaheb Thackeray that I have nothing to do with any scam. I will die, but will not surrender, nor will I leave Shiv Sena. I will not bow down.

In the Sanjay Raut case, Uddhav Thackeray said, ‘All this work is going on shamelessly leaving all the shame in shame. This repression is a royal policy. If anyone had the courage to speak about Hindutva, it was Bal Saheb Thackeray, a man.