ED arrests former Punjab MLA Sukhpal Khaira in money laundering case

Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Sukhpal Khaira is an “associate” of drug case convicts and fake passport racketeers

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested former Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with a money laundering case being probed against him and others, officials said. He was produced in a PMLA court in Mohali and sent to ED custody for a day. The court asked the ED to produce him again on Friday.

Former Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has denied the money laundering charge and said he is being targeted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as he has been vocal against the Centre’s three farm laws. (HT Photo)

They said Khaira, 56, was taken into custody by the central probe agency in Chandigarh under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency had raided his premises in March this year.

The ED has alleged that Khaira is an “associate” of drug case convicts and fake passport racketeers.

The politician has denied any wrongdoing and said he is being targeted by central agencies as he has been vocal against the Centre’s three new farm laws. “It is political vendetta. Nothing else,” said Khaira to media while being taken away by ED from their office in sector 18, Chandigarh.

He had recently resigned from the state assembly.

Khaira won the assembly election in 2017 from the Bholath assembly seat in Kapurthala district on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket. He resigned from the primary membership of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in January 2019 and floated his own outfit, the Punjab Ekta Party. He then re-joined the Congress in June this year.

After the arrest, Khaira was taken to the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital, Sector 16, Chandigarh, for the medical examination. Later in the evening, he was produced before the duty magistrate in the special PMLA court in Mohali (Punjab).

(With inputs from PTI)