The Arthur Road jail authorities denied former Maharashtra chief minister and leader of a fraction of the Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray permission to meet Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut who is currently in judicial custody in connection with the Patra Chawl case. According to a report by the Times of India, Thackeray had sought permission to meet Raut. The jail authorities have refused to give permission.
Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on August 1 under the PMLA Act. Raut has been arrested by the ED in connection with the Patra Chawl scam case. His judicial custody has been extended for 14 days on September 5. As such, Raut will now remain in the custody till September 19.
While denying permission to Uddhav Thackeray to meet Sanjay Raut, the jail administration has said that “Uddhav Thackeray should seek permission from the court in this regard if he wants to meet Sanjay Raut”. The jail administration has made it clear that Uddhav Thackeray can meet Sanjay Raut in the same way that ordinary prisoners meet outside visitors.
Uddhav Thackeray had sought permission to meet Raut in the jailor’s room. However, it has been informed by the jail administration that such special permission cannot be given, and Thackeray can meet Raut like other ordinary prisoners.
According to reports, Thackeray had not given any written request to the jail administration. The jail administration had received a call from a person from Uddhav Thackeray who told them that Thackeray wanted to meet Sanjay Raut in the SP’s room. However, the jail administration replied that if Uddhav Thackeray wants to meet Sanjay Raut, he will have to meet Raut like a common man and he will have to take permission from the court to make this visit.
It is notable that according to the jail manual, Only people with blood relations can meet a prisoner after permission from the prison administration. If someone else wants to meet the prisoner, he has to take permission from the court.
