Money laundering probe: Sanjay Raut seeks more time to appear before ED

Raut said he was ready to go behind bars for “second Independence”.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday sought more time to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe and the agency allowed him the same, Raut's lawyer said.

The lawyer reached the ED's office here around 11.15 am and submitted a letter to the agency officials, requesting time for the parliamentarian to appear before it. "The ED summons was served late Monday afternoon, so we made an application to seek time because the ED has demanded a few documents," the lawyer said, adding that they had sought 14 days' time.

"It is not possible to collect those documents in such a short span of time, due to which we sought time from the ED and that has been allowed," he said.

Also Read — Sanjay Raut dubs ED summons as 'conspiracy', says won't be able to appear before agency on June 28

Meanwhille, Raut told reporters that he was busy with party programmes and would visit the central agency's office after that. "Some people want to put us behind bars and run the state, the way it happened during the Emergency,” the Sena's chief spokesperson claimed. Referring to the use of central agencies in some states, Raut sought to draw a parallel with the excesses committed against political opponents during the Emergency, and said he was ready to go behind bars for “second Independence”.

The ED had summoned Rajya Sabha member Raut on Tuesday for questioning in the money laundering probe linked to the re-development of a Mumbai 'chawl' and other related financial transactions involving his wife and friends. The development comes as the Shiv Sena battles rebellion from a group of its MLAs, putting a question mark on the future of Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Raut said, "The moment I am free, I will go to the ED. I am a lawmaker. I know the law. Even if the law implementing agencies are working in a wrong way, I am a law-abiding person."

On Monday, Raut had termed the ED's summons as a "conspiracy" to stop him from fighting against their political opponents, and said he will not be able to appear before the agency on Tuesday as he had to attend a meeting in Alibaug (Raigad district). Last week, when the rebellion began in the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra minister Anil Parab had appeared before the ED for questioning in a money laundering case registered against him.