Maharashtra
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut sent to ED custody till Thursday (Ld)

A special court here on Monday sent Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to the custody of Enforcement Directorate for 3 days, till Thursday, in a money laundering case arising out of the Patra Chawl land scam.
Special PMLA court judge M.G. Deshpande pronounced the order as Raut was produced before it, hours after he was arrested by the ED here early this morning.
While ED’s special counsel Hiten Venegaonkar sought 8 days custody, Raut’s lawyer, senior counsel Ashok Mundargi opposed it on various grounds including the health problems of his client who was a cardiac patient.
Venegaonkar argued that Raut was not cooperating with the investigations and hence his custodial interrogation was necessary and the agency wanted to probe other aspects of the Patra Chawl scam and related issues.
He contended that co-accused Pravin Raut was merely a front-man and all deals pertaining to the Patra Chawl scam were perpetrated by Sanjay Raut.
Opposing the ED’s contentions, Mundargi said that Raut’s arrest was politically motivated and pleaded for minimum custody for his client.
“He is a patient, suffering from heart-related issues and has undergone surgery, and all medical papers pertaining to this have been submitted to the court,” he said.
Venegaonkar claimed that Pravin Raut has received Rs 112 crore from HDIL in which Rs 1.6 crore was transferred to Sanjay Raut, which needs to be probed.
He also argued that Pravin Raut acted as the front-man of Sanjay Raut even in the purchase of lands in Alibaug, and Raigad, and the duo were close to each other and went on several foreign tours, etc.
The ED further alleged that Raut had threatened one of the witnesses (a woman), appeared once for probe and skipped two other summonses, and he was not cooperating with the investigators.
In response, Mundargi said that the allegations listed in the remand application are vague and stem from a political vendetta as the case dates back to 2018 but is being raised now owing to the changed political scenario.
On the ED’s contentions of non-cooperation, Mundargi said Raut had already informed the ED that he was involved in elections, he was in New Delhi, and not running away from the probe as he was attending Parliament.
After hearing both sides, Special Judge Deshpande turned down the ED’s plea for 8 days custody, and noted that custody till August 4 would be sufficient.
“I am of the opinion that such a long custody of 8 days is not warranted… I am of the opinion that accused (Raut) is remanded to ED custody up to August 4 that will suffice for investigations,” he said.
Taking cognisance of Raut’s heart disease and his surgery, the court said that during custody, he may be given some rest instead of interrogating him till late night.
It has also allowed Raut to meet his legal team in the mornings and the ED will not interrogate him after 10 p.m. in view of his health status.
The ED is probing alleged money-laundering that was detected in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl by HDIL subsidiary, Guru Ashish Constructions Pvt Ltd.
While Pravin Raut, an ex-Director in the Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, was arrested earlier, the ED also attached his properties and assets belonging to Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha, valued at over Rs 11 crore, in April.
On July 1, the ED had summoned and questioned Sanjay Raut for over 10 hours and then called him again on three occasions, but he had sought time till August 7.
The ED raided Raut’s Bhandup bungalow at dawn on July 31, and he was questioned for over nine hours.
Later, he was taken under detention to the agency offices where he was again grilled for over 7 hours before he was placed under arrest.
Crime
Palghar Fraud: Nalasopara Gym Trainer, Wife Booked For Duping Mumbai Cosmetics Shop Owner Of Over ₹1.27 Crore In Investment Scam

Palghar, Maharashtra: The Tulinj Police have registered a case against a gym trainer and his wife from Nalasopara for allegedly duping a Mumbai-based cosmetics shop owner of over ₹1.27 crore under the pretext of a profitable gym business investment.
Victim Details and Investment
According to police, the complainant, Ashokkaraman Van (28), originally from Gujarat and currently residing in Elphinstone, Mumbai, stated that in 2022 he and his friend Valjibhai Ravariya were persuaded by Abhishek Singh, a fitness trainer, and his wife Poonam Shukla to invest in a new gym project at Sitaram Complex, Santosh Bhavan, Nalasopara (East), Palghar district.
The couple allegedly promised high returns and assured them that the investment would be safe. Convinced by the assurances, Van invested ₹1,27,63,000 into the venture. However, despite repeated follow-ups, neither profits nor the principal amount were returned.
FIR Filed for Cheating and Criminal Breach of Trust
Realizing that they had been cheated, the complainant approached police, leading to the registration of an FIR under sections 316(2), 316(5), 31(8)(4), and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to criminal breach of trust and cheating.
Investigation Underway
Police confirmed that no arrests have been made so far. The case is under investigation by Inspector Anand Pednekar of Tulinj Police Station.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: 26-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Assaults Female Ticket Checker At Goregaon Station; Case Registered

Mumbai: The Borivali railway police have registered an FIR against a 26-year-old woman for allegedly assaulting a woman ticket checker on Wednesday after a dispute over showing a ticket. The accused has been identified as Sony Chauhan, 26. The case was registered on August 20, subsequently, the police issued a notice to the accused.
Incident on Local Train
According to the police, the incident occurred on Wednesday at 3:25 pm at the Goregaon ticket checker office at the railway station. The complainant, Geeta Pandoria, 52, works as a ticket checker with the railways and resides in Andheri East. She had boarded a slow local train from Andheri to Borivali from platform number 3 at Andheri station.
Before the train reached Goregaon station, Pandoria asked passenger Sony Chauhan to show her ticket. Chauhan was unable to produce one as she had not purchased it. The ticket checker then got down with her at Goregaon railway station’s platform number 2 and took her to the ticket checker’s office.
There, Chauhan allegedly began arguing with Pandoria, verbally abused her, threatened to harm her, physically assaulted her by beating and twisting her left hand, and obstructed her from performing her official duty. The ticket checker sustains the middle finger of the left hand.
Case Registered Under IPC
Following the complaint, the Borivali railway police registered a case against Chauhan under Sections 132 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused resides in Andheri East.
Maharashtra
Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena Faces Setback As Ex-Palghar Zilla Parishad Chief Prakash Nikam, Along With Other Prominent Leaders, Defects To BJP

Palghar: Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faced a major setback in Palghar as important leaders switched allegiance to the BJP, such as former Zilla Parishad President Prakash Nikam and multiple office bearers. In a demonstration of power, more than two hundred vehicles, spearheaded by BJP district president Bharat Rajput, departed for Mumbai, signaling a tactical step before local body elections.
Notable individuals like Sarika Nikam, Purnima Dhodi, and Ghanshyam More became members of the BJP at an event with state president Ravindra Chavan. The BJP’s enlistment of individuals from the Shinde and Thackeray factions, as well as the Nationalist Congress Party, has heightened the regional political atmosphere. By incorporating six members from the Gram Panchayat, the BJP is likely to take control of Saravali Gram Panchayat, which is strategically located near the Tarapur Industrial Estate.
The roster of individuals defecting to the BJP features: Prakash Nikam, Sarika Nikam, Yuva Sena coordinator Ricky Ratnakar, Anand Dhodi, Purnima Dhodi, Ghanshyam More, Kamlakar Dalvi, and Virendra Patil, whose daughter previously worked in the municipal sector. Prakash Nikam conveyed his discontent with the Shiv Sena, pointing out disrespect and exclusion from party events, while Anand Dhodi voiced comparable feelings of being overlooked at district meeting.
Both mentioned unresolved issues and continuous insults as reasons for their exit. Under the guidance of Chavan and Rajput, the BJP is gearing up to focus on strengthening its hold in the district in anticipation of forthcoming elections, utilizing the dissatisfaction among Shiv Sena to amplify its presence in Palghar.
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