During custody, ED kept me in room that has no window and ventilation: Sanjay Raut tells court

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, on Thursday told a special court here that during their custody, the central agency kept him in a room that had no window and ventilation.

Raut told this to special court judge M G Deshpande, designated to hear matters related to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), on Thursday. The court extended Raut’s ED custody till August 8.

The ED arrested the Sena MP on Sunday midnight in connection with the alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra ‘Chawl’ (old row tenement) in suburban Goregaon and related financial property transactions involving his wife and alleged associates. On Monday, the court remanded him in ED custody till August 4. At the end of his remand, the agency on Thursday produced him in the special court, which extended his ED custody. During the hearing, when the court asked Raut if he had any complaints against the ED, he said there was nothing in particular. However, he added that the room where he has been kept has no window and ventilation.

The court then sought an explanation from the probe agency.

Special public prosecutor Hiten Venegaokar, who appeared on behalf of the ED, said Raut was kept in an AC room and hence there was no window. Raut later said that although the AC system is in place there, he cannot use it due to his health condition.

The ED then assured the court that he would be kept in a room with proper ventilation.

On Monday, the ED had told the court that Raut and his family received ”proceeds of crime” worth over Rs one crore generated out of alleged irregularities in the housing redevelopment project.

The 60-year-old Rajya Sabha member is a close associate of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. He is also the chief spokesperson of the Sena and the executive editor of party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.