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Illegal sand mining: Punjab police register FIR against Channi’s nephew, aide
Punjab Police registered FIR against former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh, alias Honey, and his aide Kudratdeep Singh for carrying out illegal mining in 2017
The Punjab Police on Monday registered an FIR against former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh, alias Honey, and his aide Kudratdeep Singh, alias Lovie, at Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar for carrying out illegal mining at the Malikpur site of the district in 2017.
According to inspector general of police, headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill, Honey and Kudratdeep, who are facing an enforcement directorate (ED) probe in the illegal mining case, have been booked on the basis of the complaint available with the agency.
The police have also sent notice to Honey to join the investigation in the case, while Kudratdeep, who is in Kapurthala jail, will be brought on production warrant on Tuesday.
Honey, from whom the ED has recovered more than ₹9.97 crore during raids at different places in Punjab, has recently come out on bail in the case. The development came two months after the ED in its letter dated May 9, 2022, to the SSP, SBS Nagar, had shared information regarding 73 weightment slips dated November 10, 2017, besides details of the output of sand more than reported to the mining department from illegal mining at Malikpur sand mining site recovered during the course of searches.
The ED had conducted searches at the premises of Honey and Kudratdeep.
During the raid, the ED had then recovered various indiscriminating documents, digital devices, apart from cash relatable to the proceeds of crime generated by way of illegal sand mining activities at the Malikpur mining site.
The IG, headquarters, said following the letter from the ED, the SSP, SBS Nagar, had constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for further investigation.
The SIT found that both accused had conducted illegal mining in that area using heavy machinery resulting in violating the provisions of environment clearance issued by the state-level environment authority, Punjab, said the spokesperson, adding that the accused persons also used fake 73 weightment slips, which were recovered by the ED during the searches.
“The police also found details of the output of sand more than reported to the mining department which was corroborated by the mining department referring to the lesser output of sand shown to the mining department which led to financial loss to the state exchequer,” he added.
The IG said that following all the investigations, the SIT recommended to file an FIR against Honey and Kudratdeep.
An FIR dated July 18, 2022, has been registered under Sections 21(1) and 4(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, Sections 379, 406, 420, 465, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 15 of the Environment Protection Act at the Police Station, Rahon.
The ED during its probe had also questioned Channi in the case on April 14. The former chief minister is on a foreign trip since then and is also keeping away from the routine functioning of the Congress party as well.
