Connect with us
Saturday,22-November-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

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

Published

on

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.

Maharashtra

Disturbance at Kalyan Ideal College over offering Bajrang Dal prayers, students pressured to apologize with Jai Shri Ram slogan, tension remains under control

Published

on

Mumbai: Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal were in a frenzy over prayers at Ideal College in Kalyan, adjoining Mumbai. Its mischief increased so much that it forced the students to apologize. This extremist group intimidated the students and forced them to apologize in front of the statue of Shivaji Maharaj and the southern extremist was seen raising the slogan of Jai Shri Ram with hooliganism. This video is viral on social media, but so far the police has not taken any concrete action on this issue. Controversy arose over offering prayers at Ideal College in Kalyan area. The students apologized, while the college administration has promised action.

According to initial details, the controversy escalated after a video of some students of the pharmacy department of Ideal College offering prayers on the college campus went viral on social media. As soon as the news of this was received, workers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal reached the college and lodged a protest with the administration. Meanwhile, the local police also reached the college after the commotion and reviewed the situation but no case has been registered in this matter.

According to the college administration, some students were offering prayers in an empty classroom for a few minutes. Someone shared the incident on social media. After the video went viral, some organizations protested and demanded action against the students involved.

The police reached the college and brought the situation under control. However, the college administration requested the police that since the matter is related to the academic campus, it should be resolved at the college level. Respecting the administration’s request, the police handled the situation peacefully.

The college administration then summoned the concerned students. The students admitted that they had offered prayers but they had no intention of inciting any controversy or inflaming religious sentiments. To avoid any misunderstanding, the students apologized to the administration and the staff present there.
The college administration said that discipline and rules are essential in educational institutions. Such religious activities are not in accordance with the rules of the institution and strict vigil will be maintained to ensure that no student repeats such incidents in future. He also assured that necessary action will be taken against the students involved.

The college campus is under complete control after the incident and the police have withdrawn from the spot after a short period of surveillance.

Currently, the police administration has handled the matter peacefully, while the college has also taken cognizance of the matter internally. However, no statement has been issued by anyone yet.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Charkop Firing Case: Four More Arrested In Attempt On Real Estate Agent Freddy D’Lima; Total Accused Now Five

Published

on

Mumbai: In the Charkop firing case where 42-year-old real estate agent and social worker Freddy D’Lima was targeted, the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested four more accused on Friday.

The arrested men have been identified as Rajesh Chauhan (42), resident of Kandivali; Subhash Mohite (44), resident of Virar; Mangesh Choudhary (40), resident of Pune; and Krishna Singh (25), resident of Thane.

The arrests were made by Unit 11, under the leadership of Unit 6’s PI Bharat Ghone, following the directive of DCP Vishal Thakur. All four were traced and detained from Kolhapur before being brought to Mumbai for interrogation.

With these arrests, the total number of accused in the case has reached five. On Thursday, Charkop Police had arrested 35-year-old Munna Sheikh, alias Guddu, a bar and restaurant manager, for his alleged involvement in planning the attack.

During investigation, police found that Guddu had a financial dispute with D’Lima. Officers suspect that Guddu may have hired shooters to eliminate D’Lima.

An officer revealed that both Guddu and D’Lima live in the same housing society but were involved in redevelopment deals with different builders. The project was reportedly valued at around ₹4 crore, which may have caused prolonged tension between the two.

It is suspected that this dispute may have driven Guddu to plan the firing attack, although police have not officially confirmed this motive. Guddu has been remanded to police custody till November 27. The Charkop Police continue to probe the case.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Cabinet Approves 66-km Nashik Ring Road Ahead Of 2027 Kumbh Mela

Published

on

Nashik: The 66.15-km Nashik ring road, envisioned as a parikrama marg ahead of the 2027 Kumbh Mela, is expected to cost around Rs 8,000 crore. The State Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure, which recently approved the project, assigned its execution to the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), instead of the previously expected Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

The committee has approved land acquisition costs of Rs 3,659.47 crore. Negotiations with the Centre are ongoing regarding the civil works component, estimated at Rs 4,262.64 crore, for which the state has already granted approval.

Funds for land acquisition will be provided through the Nashik–Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority, according to a Government Resolution (GR) issued on Friday. Once discussions with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) conclude, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed between the state and the Centre.

The ring road is designed to ease congestion in Nashik and improve the movement of people and goods, supporting industrial growth, logistics, and tourism. Nearly 2 crore devotees and tourists are expected to visit Nashik during the 2027 Kumbh Mela, highlighting the urgency of completing the project.

To recover project costs, the option of levying tolls has been kept open, with revenue-sharing arrangements between the state and the Centre.

Continue Reading

Trending