Markfed chief Wahid quizzed in hawala case

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 22

Yet another SAD leader is being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Party’s Kapurthala district president and Markfed chairman Jarnail Singh Wahid today appeared before Assistant Director Manoj Sharma in 14-year-old case pertaining to alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the Akali leader was questioned for about three hours this afternoon. Inquiry officer Sharma remained tight-lipped. “There is nothing as of now which I can share with the media,” he said.

When contacted, Wahid said he had been called by the ED regarding a 2001 case pertaining to a Vigilance inquiry against him. Member of the Subordinate Service Selection Board then, he remained behind bars for about two weeks.

“At that time, I had an NRI partner and all departments, including the Income Tax Department and the ED, had initiated an inquiry against me. I had then submitted my income tax returns and bank account details. All these years, I believed that the inquiry against me was over. But today I learnt that was not the case,” he said.

Wahid, who has also been an SGPC member, claimed that the ED had last called him in 2003. “Today, they placed a file before me that contained old documents. They seemed to have had no fresh lead in the case. They asked me for my passport but I was carrying one,” he said.

Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD spokesperson, refused to comment on the matter. “I am not aware of the case, so I cannot respond,” he said.