Sena's Sanjay Raut, arrested by ED, to appear before special court today

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai 'chawl'. 

Raut, 60, was arrested after over six hours of questioning at the ED's zonal office in south Mumbai's Ballard Estate. 

He has been taken into custody at 12:05 am on Monday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as he was not cooperating in the probe. 

The Rajya Sabha MP of the Sena, led by former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, will be produced before a special PMLA court in Mumbai later in the day, where the Enforcement Directorate will seek his custody.

Raut on Sunday claimed that he was not involved in any scam and that the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) action against him was based on false evidence. He said will die, but will neither surrender nor quit the Shiv Sena. 

The Rajya Sabha member said this in tweets, which he posted soon after the central agency started conducting a search at his residence in suburban Bhandup on Sunday morning in connection with a money laundering case.

Raut had skipped two summonses issued to him by the ED for questioning in the money laundering case linked to the alleged irregularities in the re-development of a Mumbai 'chawl' and related transactions involving his wife and 'associates'.

He had appeared before the central agency on July 1 to record his statement. "False action, false evidence. I will die, but will not surrender. I will never leave Shiv Sena. I swear by Balasaheb Thackeray that I am not involved in any scam. He taught us to fight and I will continue to fight for Shiv Sena," Raut said.