Not scared of anyone, says Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut on ED notice to wife in PMC scam

Mumbai: After the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to his wife Varsha Raut in connection with the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank scam case, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said targeting women of a household was an “act of cowardice”.

“We are not scared of anyone and will respond accordingly,” Raut told reporters here.

“In the last one year, Sharad Pawar, Eknath Khadse and Pratap Sarnaik got notices and now all of you are discussing my name. All these people are crucial for government formation in Maharashtra. These are pieces of paper, nothing else,” Raut said.

“Targeting women of a household is an act of cowardice. We are not scared of anyone and will respond accordingly. ED needed some papers and we have submitted them in time,” he added.

The ED has summoned the Rajya Sabha MP’s wife in connection with the PMC Bank scam case. She has been asked to join the investigation on December 29.

According to sources, this is the third summons sent to the Sena leader’s wife. She had skipped the earlier two summons citing ill health, sources said.

In September last year, the RBI had capped the withdrawal limit and restricted the activities of the PMC Bank after an alleged fraud of Rs 4,355 crore came to light.

The Enforcement Directorate had later seized and identified movable and immovable assets worth more than Rs 3,830 crore owned by Housing Development Infrastructures Ltd (HDIL) in connection with the case.