ED raids Channi’s nephew in Punjab sand mining case, Congress hits out
The raids triggered a strong reaction from Channi and the Congress party, which accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its government at the Centre of defaming “Punjab and Punjabiyat”.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided 10 locations in poll-bound Punjab, including those linked to chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh, in connection with probes into illegal sand mining in the state, officials familiar with the matter said.
The raids triggered a strong reaction from Channi and the Congress party, which accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its government at the Centre of defaming “Punjab and Punjabiyat”.
ED officials, accompanied by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, conducted searches at various locations in Chandigarh, Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Pathankot and Mohali. An apartment belonging to Bhupinder Singh alias Honey was also raided by the agency in Mohali. Besides Honey, the central agency conducted raids on nine other people, including six mine owners and their associates.
During the search, some property related documents and currency worth more than ₹6 crore was found, said the officials quoted above. “The amount of cash found at the residential premises of Bhupinder Singh in Ludhiana is around ₹4 crore and at the residential premises of Sandeep Kumar (Honey’s partner) in Ludhiana is around ₹2 crores,” said an official, requesting anonymity.
The agency’s probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is based on a 2018 case registered by Punjab Police on alleged illegal sand mining in the border state. The central agency had lodged an ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report), a FIR, at its zonal office here in Jalandhar in November last year after taking over the probe.
Channi condemned the raids and called it an attempt to put pressure on him ahead of elections. Punjab goes to the polls on February 20 and the Congress is looking to retain power.
“It is based on a 2018 FIR, what is my connection with that, at that time I was not even chief minister. But somehow they have to target me and my ministers and attempt to put pressure, but let me say this that Punjabis never come under pressure,” Channi said.
Sharing details of the case, a second ED official said that in the FIR relating to Channi’s nephew, a team comprising officials of the mining department, civil administration and Punjab Police conducted a surprise check on March 7, 2018 on the basis of a complaint received at the Rahon police station in SBS Nagar over illegal sand mining. After this, this official said it was found that several mines were excavated by various machines and mining was being carried out beyond the designated area.
But the Congress rejected the charges. The chief minister referred to the ED raids on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s wife, Rujira, in connection with an alleged multi-crore coal smuggling fraud case before the assembly elections in February last year.
“When there were polls in West Bengal, such attacks took place on Mamata Banerjee’s relatives. Now, in the same pattern in Punjab, ED is trying to put pressure, and give trouble. An attempt is being made to create all kinds of pressure,” he told reporters in Chandigarh.
“Not just on the ministers, chief minister, but pressure is being created on every Congress worker. Such an atmosphere is not good for democracy. When elections are near, they thought about conducting ED raids. But we are ready to bear all pressure, all troubles,” he added.
The Congress said the people of the state would give a befitting reply to the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections. “It is an assault on Punjab, Punjabiyat. The BJP is challenging the dignity of Punjab and Punjabis,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Punjab chief minister and his relatives were involved in sand mining. “It’s very sad to know that a raid is being conducted on the premises of Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s relative in connection with a case of illegal sand mining. Punjab chief minister and his relatives are involved in illegal sand mining,” he told reporters in Mohali.
Union minister Gajendra Shekhawat said: “As we know, Prime Minister Modi has zero tolerance policy for corruption. But Congress has given political colour to action against corruption and also national security. The Congress and the opposition parties were left red-faced whenever such action has reached a conclusion in the past. Let the agencies work freely.”
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