ACB raids SS-UBT MLA Rajan Salvi, family in alleged corruption case

Ratnagiri (Maharashtra), Jan 18 (IANS) At least four teams of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday swooped on the home, office and a business premise here linked to opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Rajan Salvi in an alleged case pertaining to ‘benami properties’, officials said.  

The teams led by Ratnagiri ACB officer Sushant Chavan swooped on Salvi’s home where his brother Deepak Salvi and an aide were present.

The ACB team of nearly 17 sleuths, started the simultaneous search operations at three locations for an alleged case pertaining to wealth of over Rs 3 crore, purportedly at least 118 percent in excess of Rajan Salvi’s known sources of income, as per an official.

Slamming the raids, Rajan Salvi told mediapersons that he was being hounded for not succumbing to political pressures and switching loyalties to the ruling Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

He said that even his wife Anuja and son Shubham were booked by the ACB besides raiding his brother Deepak’s home, and warned that the government would have to face the consequences for its actions.

“You can book me in any case, arrest and jail me, but you cannot target my family members in this manner. We are being pressured, but whatever happens, even if they throw me in jail, I will not succumb. The people of the state will teach you a lesson,” the MLA vowed.

He said that party President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called him up and expressed his full support in the latest crisis.

Earlier quizzed on at least five occasions by the ACB, Rajan Salvi on Wednesday declared that he was fed up with these repeated summons and interrogation by the police agency.

He said that henceforth he would not attend any ACB summonses or go to their offices for questioning, and dared them “to take whatever action, arrest me, throw me in jail”.

The ACB action came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a close aide of SS-UBT former minister and MLA Aditya Thackeray earlier on Thursday in Mumbai.

Aditya Thackeray, Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut, MP, MLA Vaibhav Naik, former Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar and other leaders slammed the state government for actions selectively targeting their party leaders by misusing probe agencies.

Raut said that both Rajan Salvi and MP Rajan Vichare are being hounded by central agencies for their refusal to join the ruling Shiv Sena, but warned that the people of the state are watching everything and will give a befitting reply in the elections.

--IANS

qn/ksk