`Inappropriate to speak on court`s decision`: Maharashtra Minister after Sanjay Raut gets bail in Patra Chawl case

Sanjay Raut got bail from the court after being in custody since July 31 for the Patra Chawl scam case. He was arrested by Enforcement Directorate under money laundering case.

New Delhi: After a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court granted bail to Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut in connection with the Patra Chawl land scam case, Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant said that it is not appropriate to comment on the decision taken by the court. 

"It is not appropriate to speak on the decision taken by the court. The court has decided after listening to both parties. It is not right to speak to outsiders in a court case and I am a minister. It is not right to speak on this," said Samant. 

Sanjay Raut got bail today after about 102 days. After he was granted bail Raut bowed down in the court and said, "I`m thankful to the court," to which the court responded that it was nothing to be thankful about. 

"Sanjay Raut has been granted bail on merit. If it hadn`t been on merit, he wouldn`t have got the bail," the court observed. 

Meanwhile, the NCP leader Rohit Pawar welcomed the court`s decision of granting bail to MP Sanjay Raut and said that this matter should have been decided earlier, but the decision is welcomed. 

"Sanjay Raut has been trying continuously for 100 days for bail. This matter should have been decided earlier, but we welcome whatever decision came," Rohit Pawar said. 

Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 1 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl in suburban Goregaon in Mumbai. 

When the court pronounced the order, family members and supporters of the Shiv Sena MP clapped inside the courtroom and corridor of the court. Meanwhile, Additional Solicitor General has sought a stay on the execution of the bail order for a short period so that ED can appeal in a higher court against the order of Mumbai`s PMLA court. Mumbai`s PMLA court will pronounce the order on demand of stay on the execution of bail order to Sanjay Raut at 3 pm today.

The Shiv Sena leader is accused of receiving a part of the money from middleman Praveen Raut, who had allegedly earned it illegally in the case of the redevelopment of Patra Chawl, located in Mumbai`s Goregaon. It is also alleged that Sanjay Raut bought properties in Dadar and Alibaug with that money.

Sanjay Raut was continuously lodged in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai since August 1. Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and former minister Nawab Malik are also lodged in this jail. This news is being considered a relief for the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance before the municipal elections.

Sanjay Raut is an aggressive Shiv Sena spokesperson and has a good hold on his party cadre. On June 28 this year, Sanjay Raut was summoned by the ED in connection with the prevention of the money laundering case pertaining to the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl land scam. Back in August, the wife of Shiv Sena MP was also summoned by the agency in connection with the Patra Chawl land case.