ED nabs INLD ex-legislator in PMLA case

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Yamunanagar, January 8

Former INLD MLA from Yamunanagar Dilbag Singh was arrested by a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today. He was arrested by Anand Kumar Pandey, Assistant Director of the ED, under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, from his house in Yamunanagar.

Two FIRs lodged

• Documents, vehicles, mobile phones of Dilbag Singh, his wife, his brother and his brother’s wife seized
• 2 FIRs were lodged against Dilbag in Yamunanagar on Jan 5 after seizure of arms and liquor

One more arrest?

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Sources said the Enforcement Directorate also arrested one more person, identified as Kulwinder Singh, from Yamunangar. However, his arrest has not been confirmed

Sources said the ED also arrested one more person, identified as Kulwinder Singh from Yamunangar. However, his arrest has not been confirmed.

Two FIRs were registered against Dilbag Singh at the Pratap Nagar police station in Yamunanagar district on January 5 after the recovery of five weapons, 304 live cartridges and 138 bottles of liquor from a farmhouse near Araiyanwala village.

As per the FIRs, the farmhouse belongs to Dilbag Singh. However, speaking to mediapersons, Dilbag Singh’s brother Rajinder Singh claimed that the farmhouse did not belong to the former MLA. With the arrest of Dilbag Singh, the ED’s search operation concluded on the fifth day today.

The search operation was undertaken under Sub-Section (1) and Sub-Section (1A) of Section 17 of the PMLA.

As per documents given by the ED to family members of the Dilbag Singh, no currency or gems/jewellery were recovered from the establishments of the former MLA.

The team seized loose written sheets, vehicles and mobile phones of Dilbag Singh, his wife, his brother and his brother’s wife.

The team found several cheque books, but these were not seized. Dilbag Singh’s brother alleged that it was a politically motivated case.

“The ED told us that Dilbag Singh had been arrested in connection with the purchase of minerals mined at a stone crusher associated with the former MLA. However, the stone crusher is not in his name. Dilbag Singh is a politician. He does politics, not business,” said Rajinder Singh.

“The property from where the liquor has been recovered does not belong to Dilbag Singh,” he said.

He said the arms recovered were licensed weapons and the details were registered with the office of the DC. Dilbag Singh was elected the MLA from the Yamunanagar Assembly seat on the INLD ticket in 2009.