Illegal mining case: ED recovers Rs 6cr in cash during raids in Punjab
Darpan News Desk IANS, 18 Jan, 2022 11:54 AM
New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday recovered Rs 6 crore in cash during the raids that were carried out in Punjab in connection with an illegal mining case.
A source said Rs 4 crore in cash was recovered from the house of Bhupinder Singh Honey, the nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Another Rs 2 crore was recovered from the house of one Sandeep Kumar.
The raids were conducted by the ED at more than 10 locations including Bhupinder Singh Honey's home.
The ED case is on the basis of a two-year-old FIR.
Punjab Police had on March 7, 2018, lodged a case against more than 10 persons.
The ED had initiated a money laundering probe on the basis of this FIR pertaining to illegal sand mining in Punjab.
The FIR has been accessed by IANS which was filed under several sections of IPC.
The ED found that money was being laundered by the accused involved in the case and they started probing the matter.
A source said that ED team which conducted raids at different premises including of residence of Bhupinder Singh Honey which is at Homeland Heights, went on till late Tuesday evening.
The ED team reached several premises early Tuesday mornings. At the home of Punjab CM's nephew, no one was allowed to leave or enter the house. The ED scanned various documents and computers.
The raids have also drawn political reactions. The political parties had already accused the Punjab Chief Minister many times over illegal mining in his own constituency.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted several times regarding the ongoing illegal sand mining racket.
The police were already looking into the matter for more than two years. And on the basis of the local police probe, the ED initiated their money laundering probe.
As of now, the ED has not made any statement regarding the raids.
During the raids, the ED recorded the statement of those who were present at Honey's house.
A large number of people had gathered outside the house and the police personnel were called to avoid any untoward incident.
The accused travelled from the Bandaranaike International Airport located in the outskirts of Colombo onboard SriLankan Airlines Flight UL 171 along with 140 other passengers. They had concealed the liquid gold in their rectum and was supposed to be given to handlers in Bengaluru.
Auto-rickshaw drivers in Punjab's industrial town Ludhiana on Monday received an unusual guest in the form of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, who halted unscheduled on his way to the grain market to listen to their problems.
The Indian Prime Minister has always put the nation's unity and integrity above all other considerations, and perhaps therefore chose not to give any handle to vested interests, particularly Pakistan sponsored and funded elements, to create divisions and instability in Indian society, and especially among Sikhs.
Addressing a public gathering here, Channi categorically said people are being unnecessarily harassed by the cable mafia by levying hefty charges which would not be tolerated anymore in future.
Hitting out at Navjot Singh Sidhu, the BJP on Monday said that Punjab Congress chief is creating unwarranted fears in the minds of farmers by suggesting that the Centre had plans to do away with the MSP system.
After literally turning a deaf ear to the farmers’ issues for over a year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, November 19, 2021, in a dramatic move, announced the withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws, which were at the heart of the farmers’ protests across the country.
