Book Punjab CM Charanjit Channi for role in mining, Governor urged

Chandigarh, January 24

The Aam Aadmi Party has urged the Governor to order a criminal case against CM Charanjit Channi over his alleged involvement in illegal sand mining. A party delegation led by state affairs co-incharge Raghav Chadha met Governor Banwari Lal Purohit and submitted a memorandum today.

Demanding an impartial probe into the matter, the delegation claimed crores of rupees and incriminating documents had been seized during ED raids on a CM’s relative in a sand mining case.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Chadha said the Governor took a serious note of their matter. In its memorandum, the AAP cited evidence found at Jindapur village in CM’s Chamkaur Sahib constituency and also the seizure of Rs 10 crore cash, a Rolex watch, gold worth Rs 22 lakh, expensive vehicles, Rs 54 crore bank liabilities and real estate registries from the CM’s nephew’s house.

Chadha claimed the AAP had for a long time been alleging that the sand mafia had been active in Punjab under the patronage of the CM. “The mafia is even stealing sand from the forest department land and the CM has not acted despite complaints.” —