New Delhi: The ED on Wednesday said it has attached land parcels worth more than Rs 73 crore of Pravin Raut, a "close associate" of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and some others in connection with its money laundering investigation linked to purported irregularities in the redevelopment of Mumbai's Patra Chawl.
The immovable properties of Pravin Raut and some other people known to him are located in and around Palghar, Dapoli, Raigad, and Thane and a provisional order has been issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to attach them, it said in a statement.
The total value of these assets is Rs 73.62 crore.
Both Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut were arrested in this case by the Enforcement Directorate and they are currently out on bail.
The money laundering case stems from a Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR.
A company named Guru Ashish Construction Pvt. Ltd. (GACPL), of which Pravin Raut was a director, was given the work to redevelop the Patra Chawl located in the Goregaon area of Maharashtra's capital Mumbai for the rehabilitation of 672 tenants.
The ED said there had been "significant financial misconduct" while undertaking the redevelopment project.
A tripartite agreement was signed between the society, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) and GACPL wherein the developer (GACPL) was supposed to provide flats to 672 tenants, develop flats for MHADA, and thereafter sell the remaining land area, the agency said.
However, the directors of GACPL "misled" MHADA and managed to sell the floor space index (FSI) fraudulently to nine developers, collecting an amount of Rs 901.79 crore without constructing the rehabilitation portion for the 672 displaced tenants and flats for the MHADA.
A part of the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 95 crore was "diverted" by Pravin Raut to his personal bank accounts, it alleged.
Part of these proceeds was utilized for the acquisition of various land parcels directly from farmers or land aggregators in his (Pravin Raut's) own name or the name of his firm Prathmesh Developers, it claimed.
Also, part of the proceeds of the crime were parked by him with associated persons while some properties acquired by Pravin Raut were later gifted by him to his family members, it said.
Two charge sheets have also been filed by the ED in the case till now.