Enforcement Directorate attaches Rs 72-cr assets in PMC Bank fraud case

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 1

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today said it had issued a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to seize properties worth Rs 72 crore belonging to Pravin Raut in a PMC Bank loan cheating case.

Agency officials said the investigation into the case revealed that Rs 95 crore had allegedly been siphoned off through Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) by one of the accused, Pravin Raut, in “active conspiracy and connivance with various accomplices”.

A senior ED official said, “The source of the funds was illegally availed as loans/advances by HDIL from PMC Bank. There was no document/agreement in support of these payments made to Pravin.” More to it as per the HDIL’s ledger the funds were given to Pravin for acquiring land in the Palghar area, he added. “Investigation also revealed that Pravin paid Rs 1.6 crore to his wife Madhuri Pravin Raut from the proceeds of the crime and out of this money she transferred Rs 55 lakh on December 23, 2010, and Rs 5 lakh on March 15, 2011, as interest free loan to Varsha Raut, wife of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut,” the ED said.

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