ED's Special Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar sought 8 days custody, Raut's lawyer Ashok Mundargi opposed it on various grounds, including the health problems of his client who was a cardiac patient.
MUMBAI — A special court here on Monday sent Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to the custody of Enforcement Directorate for 3 days till August 4.
Special PMLA Court Special Judge M. G. Deshpande pronounced the order as Raut was produced by the ED after he was arrested here early this morning.
While the ED’s Special Public Prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar sought 8 days custody, Raut’s lawyer Ashok Mundargi opposed it on various grounds, including the health problems of his client who was a cardiac patient.
Raut, 61, was raided by the ED at dawn on July 31, questioned for over nine hours before he was taken under detention to the agency offices where he was again grilled for over 7 hours before being formally arrested.
Raut, 61-year is a close aide of Shiv Sena President and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, plus the Chief Spokesperson of Shiv Sena and executive editor of the SAAMANA Group of newspapers.
Over the years, Raut became one of the most virulent critics of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) besides rallying together the various state and national Opposition parties.
He had gone under the scanner of ED since the time he played a crucial role in the formation of the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government which fell in June 29 after 31 months in power.
Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut’s brother and Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Raut said that with the arrest, the BJP is trying to muzzle the voice of Shiv Sena.
“We are not scared by all this bogus actions… Raut saheb will fight, we all shall fight… the Shiv Sena will fight but will not now before the BJP, Sanjay Raut will never leave the Sena,” he said. — IANS
