Former minister of Jammu and Kashmir and chairman Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP) Choudhary Lal Singh was arrested by Enforcement Directorate officials in a money laundering case on Tuesday.
Following his arrest by officials of the ED, his supporters staged a protest and raised slogans against the federal agency.
Reacting to Lal Singh’s arrest, his wife, Kanta Andotra, alleged that he has been harassed by the officials of ED, adding that they are trying to defame Singh.
“He is being harassed (by ED). They are trying to defame him. Our family is receiving death threats. He is not associated with the trust. I am the chairperson of the trust but still, they are trying to defame him and harass him. He is innocent; his bail has been denied. Everyone has the right to apply for bail. If the court will also not listen to us, where will we go? Choudhary’s wife said.
Earlier last month, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches in Jammu and adjoining areas as part of the PMLA probe against alleged irregularities in the purchase of land to set up an educational trust. Former minister Lal Singh, his wife Kanta Andotra and Ravinder Singh, a former revenue official, were charged by the CBI earlier.
The raid was conducted in connection with the PMLA case against RB’s educational trust.
The federal agency’s sleuths carried out searches in the Jammu, Kathua and Pathankot regions. The raids were based on a case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
A chargesheet was also filed by the CBI in the case on October 28, 2021. The chargesheet established offences committed by one Kanta Andotra, the chairperson of RB Educational Trust, and Ravinder Singh, then Patwari of Patwar Halqa Karandi Khurd and Muthi Hardo in 2011, who, in criminal connivance, issued three fards of more than 329 kanals of land from January 4, 2011, to January 7, 2011, without mentioning details in respect of the 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.
“On the basis of the three fards, the trust acquired multiple pieces of land, approximately 329 kanals, vide three gift deeds executed on January 5, 2011, and January 7, 2011,” said the ED.
The main persons involved include Lal Singh, ex-MP and ex-MLA; Kanta Andotra, wife of Lal Singh (also ex-MLA and chairperson of the trust); and the then Patwari.
The premises being covered in searches include those related to the trust, chairperson, land donors, power of attorney holders on behalf of land donors, witnesses who had executed the deeds and the then-Patwari who wrongfully issued fare for letting RB Educational Trust execute the deeds, added the agency. (ANI)
