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Punjab CM’s son Raninder does not appear before ED again, seeks adjournment on health grounds
The Enforcement Directorate had summoned Raninder Singh in an ongoing probe into an illegal foreign funds case
Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s son Raninder Singh, who is also the president of the National Rifle Association of India, did not appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its zonal office in Jalandhar on Friday for the second time and sought adjournment in the matter on health grounds.
The ED had summoned Raninder in an ongoing probe into an illegal foreign funds case.
Raninder’s lawyer Jaiveer Shergill said: “My client, Raninder Singh, is suffering from high fever, cold and cough. He has given samples for RT-PCR Covid test, the report of which is awaited. A team of doctors led by the Mohali medical officer has advised him 14 days’ quarantine. In view of the safety of everyone, my client has sought adjournment on health grounds.”
Shergill is also the national spokesperson of the Congress.
On October 26, Raninder Singh failed to appear before the ED, citing his requirement to be present before a parliamentary panel on Olympics in his capacity as the National Rifle Association of India president the same day.
In August, the ED had filed three applications in a Ludhiana court for the inspection of new documents filed by the income tax department in the cases against the chief minister and his son. The matter is pending with the district and sessions court in Ludhiana. In July 2016, Raninder had appeared before the ED in the case and said he had nothing to hide.
ACTION UNDER FEMA ON I-T DEPT COMPLAINT
The central agency initiated action against Raninder under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) after the income tax department filed a complaint in a Ludhiana court, saying he had lied under oath about trusts owned by him in Virgin Islands.
In 2016, Raninder was summoned by the ED in connection with a FEMA violation. The I-T department said that Raninder misguided the agency by claiming that he did have documents related to the family’s income and trusts abroad.
The I-T department alleged that Raninder was a ‘settler’ of Jacaranda Trust, which the family formed. Other undisclosed trusts include Mulwala Holdings Limited and Allworth Venture Holding Limited. Capt Amarinder Singh and Raninder also allegedly carried out ‘undisclosed’ financial transactions through a bank account in HSBC, Geneva, and HSBC Financial Services Limited (Middle East), the department said.
The I-T department said the trusts were established in 2005 and most of the deals were routed through Virgin Islands. The agency submitted in the court that it has documents sourced from Virgin Islands that show Captain Amarinder Singh and his son Raninder as owners of Marine Mansions in Dubai and other properties in the United Kingdom.
Both Amarinder and Raninder have denied any wrongdoing and termed the charges false.
