Punjab ex-CM Charanjit Channi asked to appear before court on January 12 in case registered during state polls

ANI

Mansa, December 21

The Punjab Police on Wednesday summoned former Chief Minister of Punjab, Charanjit Singh Channi asking him to appear before the CJM court on January 12, in connection with a case registered against him during the Punjab polls.

This came soon after his visit to assassinated Punjabi singer and Congress leader Sidhu Moosewala’s parents on Tuesday evening in Mansa.

“The case was registered on the complaint of AAP. It’s a false case,” Channi added.

The case has been registered against him under Section 188 of IPC in Mansa during the assembly elections.

While addressing a media briefing on Wednesday, the Channi said, “On my way to meet Moosewala’s parents, the police stopped me and asked me not to reach Mansa else they will arrest me. But I refused to stop and went to share sorrow with the family and spent the night with the family, for which I have been summoned now.” He further added, “The government is harassing the family of Sidhu Moosewala. I would request the government to take Sidhu’s murder case seriously and investigate it and not harass the family.” The former CM on Tuesday evening shared a photo of his stay at Moosewala’s house on his Twitter handle and captioned it as, “Spent the night at Village Moosa with Sidhu Moosewala’s parents.”  The Congress leader was seen sitting beside the deceased singer’s father in the photo.

Significantly, Sidhu Moosewala contested the Mansa assembly seat on a Congress ticket. However, he had to face defeat. During the election campaign, a case was registered against Sidhu Moosewala and Charanjit Singh Channi for conducting roadshows even after the election campaign was over.

The former CM reportedly went abroad after the party was defeated in the Punjab elections.

In April, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Channi for over six hours in a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged sand mining case in the state.

Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead on May 29 when he, along with his friend and cousin, was travelling in a jeep in Jawaharke village of Mansa. Six shooters waylaid his vehicle and pumped bullets into him.

The incident occurred a day after the Punjab police withdrew his security along with 424 others after a change of government in the state.

Canada-based Goldy Brar, who is a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had claimed he was behind the murder.