The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 73.6 crore in a money laundering case connected to the redevelopment fraud of Goregaon’s Patra Chawl. The attached properties include land parcels belonging to accused Pravin Raut, close friend of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, and his close associates located in and around Palghar, Dapoli, Raigad, and Thane.
The ED had earlier arrested Sanjay Raut in this case and released him on bail by the special court stating there was no prima facie case against him and raised serious questions over the ED’s intention to arrest the politician. Pravin Raut was also released on bail in this case.
The investigation revealed that Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd (GACPL), entrusted with the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl Project for the rehabilitation of 672 tenants, had been involved in significant financial misconduct. A tripartite agreement was signed among the society, MHADA, and GACPL, where the developer was supposed to provide flats to tenants, develop flats for MHADA, and sell the remaining land area. However, GACPL directors allegedly misled MHADA and fraudulently sold the Floor Space Index (FSI) to nine developers, collecting Rs 901.79 crore without constructing the rehabilitation portion for displaced tenants and flats for MHADA.
The ED investigation disclosed that Pravin Raut, director of GACPL, diverted Rs 95 crore from the proceeds of the crime to his personal bank accounts. A portion of the proceeds was utilized for acquiring various land parcels directly from farmers or land aggregators in his name or his firm Prathmesh Developers. Further, some properties acquired by Pravin Raut from the proceeds of the crime were gifted to his family members.
The ED has attached identified proceeds of the crime in the form of land parcels acquired from farmers, gifted properties to family members, and equivalent properties of siphoned off proceeds of the crime to Pravin Raut and associates, amounting to Rs 73.62 crore. The ED has previously attached assets worth Rs 11.15 crore belonging to Pravin Raut and Sanjay Raut, which are found to be part of the Rs 95 crore received by Pravin Raut, and assets worth Rs 31.50 crore belonging to Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan and Sarang Wadhawan, located in Goa.
The Enforcement Directorate has thus far attached immovable properties amounting to Rs 116.27 crore in this case.
The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation into the Patra Chawl redevelopment fraud case is ongoing, and further arrests and property attachments are expected in the future. The case has also raised questions about the role of politicians and bureaucrats in facilitating such large-scale financial irregularities.
