[2] Raut was born in Lakhapur village in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra's Vidarbha region.
[3] After completing his degree from TISS, Raut was selected for the Prime Minister Rural Development (PMRD) fellowship.
[4] Raut is a co-convener of the Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vilas Andolan (VVJVA),[5] which fights the displacement of marginalised communities.
Under the VVJVA, he has campaigned along with the Adivasi communities of the region to sell Tendu leaves directly into the market without the involvement of the middlemen.
[4][3] On 6 June 2018, he was arrested from his house[6] by the Pune Police, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.