PMLA case: ED searches premises linked to former minister Choudhary Lal Singh
Jammu, October 17
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a search operation on several premises linked to an educational trust run by the wife of former J&K minister Choudhary Lal Singh, leader of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party. The search was conducted as part of a money laundering probe in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case.
DSSP workers protest agency’s action
- DSSP workers gathered outside the ex-minister’s house and held a protest against the Enforcement Directorate’s action.
- They said the government was trying to “suppress” his voice.
The probe involves alleged financial irregularities in the RB Educational Trust. Eight premises in Jammu, Kathua and Pathankot (Punjab) were checked by ED sleuths.
As per an ED official, the main accused in the case are former minister Lal Singh, his wife Kanta Andotra, chairperson of the trust, and revenue officials who helped them in an “unauthorised” manner.
Zero tolerance
Corrupt individuals will face consequences as the BJP came to power with a commitment to not tolerate corruption. Tarun Chugh, BJP General Secretary
The CBI had booked many officials who allegedly helped the trust in getting land above permissible limit. The then Kathua deputy commissioner Ajay Singh Jamwal, then tehsildar Avtar Singh, naib tehsildar Dheeraj Kumar, girdwar Ram Pal and patwari Sudesh Kumar were booked by the central agency.
The money laundering case stems from a chargesheet filed by the CBI on October 28, 2021, which alleged criminal connivance in the issuance of land between January 4 and 7 in 2011 without mentioning details in respect of violation of the ceiling limit of 100 standard kanals imposed under Section 14 of the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, thereby giving undue pecuniary advantage to the trust.
The accused revenue officials had allegedly allowed the trust to retain land beyond the permissible ceiling of 100 kanals. It is alleged that the revenue official had wrongly measured nearly 316-kanal land and showed it 110.13 kanals in records.
Sources said the ED had found that excess land was being actively used by the trust for running schools and other commercial activities.
Meanwhile, workers of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP) held protests in Kathua against the ED action. Scores of DSSP workers gathered outside the ex-minister’s house and held a protest. “This is to suppress Lal Singh’s voice. First, they used CBI and now they are using ED against him. It is an assault on Dogras by the administration and the BJP,” a DSSP leader said. (With PTI inputs)
