This is an archive article published on March 7, 2023
Sanjay Raut may return to jail, hints Maharashtra minister; MP lashes out at him
Sanjay Raut was arrested on August 1, 2022 in connection with a money laundering case and irregularities relating to the re-development of Patra Chawl in Mumbai.
Sanjay Raut said that the minister's statement makes it clear that 'they are falsely implicating their opponents and putting them in jail'. (File photo)
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Sanjay Raut may return to jail, hints Maharashtra minister; MP lashes out at him
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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut may soon find himself behind bars, said Shambhuraj Desai, who is the Excise Minister in the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra Government. Hitting back, Raut said the minister seems to believe that the judiciary is in the ruling dispensation’s pocket.
At a press conference in Satara on Monday evening, Desai said, “He (Raut) is a motormouth… He was taking rest for three and half months… I think the time is coming for him to take rest again.” The minister was apparently referring to Raut’s time in jail.
Sanjay Raut was arrested on August 1, 2022 in connection with a money laundering case and irregularities relating to the re-development of Patra Chawl in Mumbai. On November 9 last year, a special court in Mumbai granted him bail stating the “arrest was illegal.”
Asked about the minister’s statement, Raut said Tuesday, “From the statement of the minister, it becomes clear that they believe that the judiciary is in their pocket… It also becomes amply clear once again that they are falsely implicating their opponents and putting them in jail… I will speak about it at a press conference.”
In Satara, Desai also demanded Raut’s resignation as Rajya Sabha MP. “Raut should resign and show the courage to get himself re-elected to the Rajya Sabha. He was elected on the basis of our votes. He should resign and get those 27-28 MLAs and their votes to get re-elected,” the minister added.
To a question regarding the alleged misuse of investigative agencies by the Centre, Desai said, “During the two-and-a-half-year tenure of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and deputy chief minister Ajit (Pawar), MPs like Navneet Rana and Kirit Somaiya were harassed. Through misuse of power, Rana and Somaiya were made to go through hardship. I was the Minister for Home at the time. I know many things regarding this…”
“I am keeping quiet only because (Eknath) Shinde saheb has advised us against speaking… During that time, I know who put pressure on the police and investigative agencies and through him it was done… Raut should not provoke us to reveal everything… I have a list of those who put pressure and how directions were given to frame certain people,” he said.
Desai said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already made it clear that there was no pressure whatsoever on investigative agencies. “The government at the Centre functions as per the laid down norms… Only yesterday, the deputy chief minister said that there was no pressure on investigative agencies and that he was taking decisions based on the complaints received.
To a question regarding the letter given by Opposition parties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the misuse of central agencies, Desai responded, “The Prime Minister follows rules and regulations… He will assess the letter and take appropriate action.”
Taking a jibe at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the minister said, “The NCP does not even have MPs in double digits… I have respect for NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Just because he is in the Opposition, he is making allegations that central agencies are being misused. If Opposition parties have a grouse, they can raise the issue in Parliament. They should speak about it in Delhi. What is the point in speaking about it in Maharashtra?”
“Since Raut is projecting Uddhav Thackeray as a PM candidate, he should first reveal whether he has taken the advise or consent of NCP chief Sharad Pawar… In the 2019 elections, Uddhav Thackeray used the pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on poll banners to get 19 MPs elected. Now, they will use the picture of Sharad Pawar on their banners. They should first introspect whether they will get 19 MPs elected again…,” he added.
Manoj More has been working with the Indian Express since 1992. For the first 16 years, he worked on the desk, edited stories, made pages, wrote special stories and handled The Indian Express edition. In 31 years of his career, he has regularly written stories on a range of topics, primarily on civic issues like state of roads, choked drains, garbage problems, inadequate transport facilities and the like. He has also written aggressively on local gondaism. He has primarily written civic stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Khadki, Maval and some parts of Pune. He has also covered stories from Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Ahmednagar and Latur. He has had maximum impact stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial city which he has covered extensively for the last three decades.
Manoj More has written over 20,000 stories. 10,000 of which are byline stories. Most of the stories pertain to civic issues and political ones. The biggest achievement of his career is getting a nearly two kilometre road done on Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki in 2006. He wrote stories on the state of roads since 1997. In 10 years, nearly 200 two-wheeler riders had died in accidents due to the pathetic state of the road. The local cantonment board could not get the road redone as it lacked funds. The then PMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi took the initiative, went out of his way and made the Khadki road by spending Rs 23 crore from JNNURM Funds. In the next 10 years after the road was made by the PMC, less than 10 citizens had died, effectively saving more than 100 lives.
Manoj More's campaign against tree cutting on Pune-Mumbai highway in 1999 and Pune-Nashik highway in 2004 saved 2000 trees.
During Covid, over 50 doctors were asked to pay Rs 30 lakh each for getting a job with PCMC. The PCMC administration alerted Manoj More who did a story on the subject, asking then corporators how much money they demanded....The story worked as doctors got the job without paying a single paisa.
Manoj More has also covered the "Latur drought" situation in 2015 when a "Latur water train" created quite a buzz in Maharashtra. He also covered the Malin tragedy where over 150 villagers had died.
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