Punjab CM Channi's nephew sent to ED custody till Feb 8

Bhupinder Singh alias Honey was arrested late on Thursday night the ED officers in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the border state.

Punjab chief min Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew, Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, was on Friday sent to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till February 8 by a Jalandhar court.

Bhupinder Singh Honey, the nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, being taken by the ED to a court on Friday. (PTI)

Singh was arrested late on Thursday night the ED officers in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the border state.

They said the Punjab CM's nephew was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after several hours of questioning at the agency's office in Jalandhar.

Punjab is set to vote for a new government on February 20. The Congress has accused the BJP government at the entre of misusing central agencies in the poll-bound state.

Channi had succeeded Amarinder Singh as chief minister in September last year after the latter quit the post and party following a bitter tussle with state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu. The Congress is yet to announce its CM candidate for the upcoming election.

On January 18, the ED had conducted raids on the premises of Singh, his business partners and six miners in Mohali, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Rupnagar, and Pathankot.

The agency had said it seized cash and valuables worth ₹10 crore from Singh and his partner during the raids that had continued till January 19.

(With inputs from bureau)