ED arrests Punjab CM Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey.
Highlights
- Bhupendra Singh Honey is the son of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi's sister-in-law
- Honey was arrested after questioning by ED in a money laundering case linked to illegal sand mining
- Honey was evasive in his replies to ED officials and was hence taken into custody, a PTI report said
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew Bhupendra Singh Honey has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), news agency ANI reported. He was arrested by the central agency from Jalandhar on Thursday evening following day-long questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the border state. Honey is the son of Channi's sister-in-law.
Sources claimed that Honey was evasive in his replies and was hence taken into custody, according to a PTI report. Officials said that Honey was arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED will produce him before a special PMLA court in Mohali on Friday seeking his remand.
On January 18, the agency had raided his premises and claimed to have seized about Rs 8 crore cash and incriminating documents. Property belonging to a few others were also raided.
The ED had then issued a statement saying those covered in the raids included Kudratdeep Singh, Pinjore Royalty company and its partners/shareholders, Kanwarmahip Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar Joshi, Jagveer Inder Singh, Randeep Singh, Providers Overseas Consultants Pvt Ltd and its other directors, shareholders, including Honey and Sandeep Kumar, at Mohali, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Pathankot.
Channi had told reporters that as relatives of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were raided during the Assembly polls in that state, the "same pattern" was being followed by the ED in Punjab to "pressure" him, his ministers and the Congress party members.
The ED filed a criminal case under PMLA last November. The case is based on a 2018 FIR at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar police station that pressed charges under the Indian Penal Code and Mines and Minerals (Regulation of Development) Act, 1957.
In this police FIR, the ED said, it was mentioned that a team of officials from the mining department, civil administration and police made a “surprise check” at the Malikpur mining site on March 7, 2018, on the basis of a complaint received at Rahon, SBS Nagar police station, regarding illegal sand mining. Subsequently, the mining operation at Malikpur was stopped.
Illegal mining activities were also carried out at Burjtahl Das, Barsal, Lalewal, Mandala and Khosa, the ED said quoting the police FIR.
The development comes days before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is likely to announce the party's chief ministerial candidate in the poll-bound state. Rahul is expected to make this announcement during his virtual rally in Ludhiana on Sunday and Channi is stated to be the front runner. Punjab will go to polls on February 20.
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