PMC Bank fraud case: ED summons Sanjay Raut's wife on Jan 11

Mumbai/New Delhi, Jan 6 (IANS) Two days after Varsha Raut, wife of Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the PMC Bank fraud case, the agency again summoned her for questioning on January 11, officials said on Wednesday.

A senior ED official related to the probe told IANS, "We have asked Varsha to appear before the agency on January 11."

Varsha has appeared before the ED on January 4 and recorded her statement with the agency in connection with the case.

According to ED sources, she was questioned about the Rs 55 lakh-interest free loan transferred to her account in 2010 and 2011 by her business partner Madhuri Raut, the wife of Pravin Raut, who has been accused of money laundering in the HDIL case.

The source further said that Varsha Raut will be questioned about her partnership with Madhuri Raut in Avani Construction and how she had received Rs 12 lakh from the entity (as overdrawn capital converted to loan) on a contribution of Rs 5,625.

According to ED sources, the loan amount of Rs 12 lakh to Varsha Raut is still outstanding.

The ED has registered a case of money laundering on the basis of FIR registered by Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing against Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL), its promoter Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan, Sarang Wadhawan, Waryam Singh, the then Chairman and Managing Director of the bank Joy Thomas and others for causing loss to the tune of Rs 4,355 crore to PMC Bank and corresponding gain to themselves.

The ED has attached properties worth Rs 72 crore on January 1 of Pravin Raut under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as during investigation, it was revealed that Rs 95 crore had been allegedly siphoned off through HDIL by him in active conspiracy and connivance with various persons.

Earlier, summons to Varsha had sparked a huge political row in the state with the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress trading verbal blows with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.

Sanjay Raut had also accused the BJP at the Centre of misusing the Central probe agencies like the ED, the CBI and the IT to harass and silence political opponents.