Hours after saying that government agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) hold zero importance to him, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's attitude has now softened.
The ED had sent summons to Raut's wife Varsha Raut to appear before him on Tuesday (December 29). Describing the summon as a political conspiracy, the Shiv Sena leader attacked the central government along with the ED. He even said that government agencies like ED are not a matter of importance to him. However, now he has requested the ED to give her some more time.
A letter has been sent to the agency on behalf of Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha, demanding extra time to appear. It is believed that now she can go to the ED office on January 5. ED wants to interrogate Varsha in the PMC bank scam in the Rs 55 lakh transaction case. Earlier, summons were sent to Varsha Raut twice on behalf of ED, but she refused to appear before the ED citing health reasons.
After getting the notice from his wife, the angry Sanjay Raut had earlier said that he is not afraid of anyone and will respond appropriately when the time comes. He also said that it is cowardly to target women in the family. The Shiv Sena leader had attacked the BJP and said, "I have some people coming from the BJP family for a year, they repeatedly try to tell me that this government is going to bring us down in any circumstances, we are in power at the centre, ED, CBI and income tax. There was also an attempt to bully me, but I am their father."
The ED registered a case of money laundering against Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) promoter Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan, his son Sarang Wadhawan, Waryam Singh and Joy Thomas, the then Chairman and Managing Director of PMC Bank Ltd, respectively and others on the basis of an FIR registered by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing in September last year.
Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut is also accused in the same case.
The FIR was registered for causing wrongful loss to the tune of Rs 4,355 crore to PMC Bank and corresponding gain to themselves.