PMC Bank scam case: ED questions Varsha Raut for 3 hours

On Monday, January 5, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai in connection with the PMC Bank scam case. She left the ED office after about three hours. Varsha Raut had arrived at the ED office around 3 pm for questioning in regards to her involvement with the PMC bank case.

Varsha Raut joined the probe a day ahead of the scheduled date that she had earlier requested for. Raut reached the ED office in response to the third summon that the agency had issued last month asking her to appear before it on December 29. But Varsha Raut sought more time from the ED saying she would appear before the agency on January 5. She had skipped the earlier summons on the health grounds.

Moreover, both Pravin Raut and his wife Madhuri have been questioned by the ED in the past and their statements have been recorded, said the sources.

The ED's investigation has revealed that Pravin Raut had siphoned off INR 95 crores through HDIL. However, no documents of this transaction have been made. According to the information given by the ED, the land at Palghar was taken through the money. Apart from this, Praveen had given INR 1.6 crores to his wife Madhuri Raut. Of which, INR 55 lakh (INR 50 lakh on December 23, 2010, and INR 5 lakh on March 15, 2011) was given as an interest-free loan to Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut. The money was used to buy a house in Dadar (East).

Earlier, the ED had seized assets worth INR 293 crores belonging to Rakesh Wadhwan and Wadhwan family. Jewellery worth INR 63 crore has also been seized.

Meanwhile, the investigation further revealed that Madhuri Raut and Varsha Raut are partners in the Avni construction company, the ED said. While there was a contribution of only INR 5,625, he had received INR 12 lakh in the form of overdue capital. Later, it was converted into debt.

Read More: ED to focus on tracking down INR 55 lakhs received by Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha

However, over a month ago, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut had denied all the allegations against and claimed that central agencies were being used to "destabilise" the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra.

Besides, the Shiv Sena, which is ruling Maharashtra as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government along with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, had earlier alleged that central probe agencies were targeting its leaders unfairly.