ED searches premises of Samalkha Congress MLA Chhokar’s properties

The raiding team did not make any disclosure about the raids and the sleuths were inside the house till the filing of this report and were reportedly examining documents and data

The enforcement directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted raids at Congress’ Samalkha MLA Dharam Singh Chhokar’s house in Samalkha, office and fuel station in Panipat and properties in Hisar, Gurugram and Chandigarh.

Congress Samalkha MLA Dharam Singh Chhokar (File photo)

As per information, a team of 12 members accompanied by police personnel reached Chhokar’s house in three cars early in the morning and locked the property from inside. They did not allow anybody to come out or go inside.

However, the raiding team did not make any disclosure about the raids and the sleuths were inside the house till the filing of this report and were reportedly examining documents and data. Chhokar could not be contacted despite repeated attempts as his mobile phone was switched off. The raids were conducted in connection with disproportionate assets than known sources of income.

Two-time MLA Chhokar is considered close to former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. For the first time, he was elected from Samalkha on the Haryana Janhit Congress ticket in 2009. However, in 2014 he contested on the Congress ticket unsuccessfully. In 2019, he was again elected on the Congress ticket from the Gurjar dominated Samalkha seat.

This is the second such raid at the properties of Chhokar, as on March 17, 2021 also, joint teams of the ED and income tax department conducted raids in Samalkha, Panipat, Hisar, Gurugram and Chandigarh.