Amid attack from the erstwhile ally BJP and action by central probe agencies, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said he 'welcomes' the raids being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at the premises of his close aid. "Let them (ED) conduct raids. I'll welcome them. Just don't lie, else they'll suffer. If an agency lies to achieve a political goal, it'll have to pay. From officials to ministers, everyone has gone to jail," he said.
Raut’s statement came days after ED arrested his close associate Pravin Raut and aides in connection with an alleged land scam amounting to Rs 1034 crore. Further, his comments came after BJP Raut and his family of Rs 100 crore Jumbo Covid Care Center scam and also of partnership in the wine company.
Raut, who was to address the press conference on Monday to counter BJP’s charges and ongoing probes by central probe agencies, cancelled it due to the demise of Lata Mangeshkar. He warned that the ED officials will have to 'pay' if they 'lie to achieve political goals.
On February 1, the ED conducted search operations at the residence of Pravin Raut, a former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd. The businessman has been sent to ED custody till February 9. The agency also reportedly raided the residence of Sujit Patkar, reportedly a business associate of Sanjay Raut's daughters. Last year, the Enforcement Directorate had questioned Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut in connection with the PMC bank case.
Raut and BJP are involved in a war of words on the deployment of central probe agencies in Maharashtra for their probe targeting the ministers and leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Raut last week said ‘’First lured, offered. Then intimidated, threatened. Despite that, we did not bow down. The family was threatened. We said - leave, ignore them, let them go. So now put the central agency behind us till 2024. But we will not bow down.’’
