PMLA case: ED raids several premises of Lal Singh, his family

Jammu, Oct 17: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches on eight premises situated at different locations in Jammu and Kashmir in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case against RB Educational Trust being run by former MP Lal Singh’s family.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided several premises of former MP and minister, Chowdhary Lal Singh, his wife and his family-run educational institution in Kathua, Jammu and Pathankot.
Chowdhary Lal Singh’s wife and former MLA from Basohli, Kanta Andotra, is the chairperson of RB Educational Trust which has been facing a CBI investigation in a land allotment case since 2020.
The ED sleuths carried out the searches in Jammu, Kathua and Pathankot regions in the premises belonging/linked to Lal Singh’s family. The raids are based on a case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Pertinently, the CBI had filed an FIR in the matter on September 12, 2020.
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 during January 4, 2011, to January 7, 2011, without mentioning details in respect of violation of 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 trust.
The main persons involved include one Lal Singh, ex-MP and ex-MLA, and Kanta Andotra, wife of Lal Singh (also ex-MLA and chairperson of the trust) and the then Patwari.
During the course of the investigation by the ED, it has come to the fore that the excess land is being actively used by the trust for running DPS Schools and other commercial activities.
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 fards for letting RB Educational Trust execute the deeds, added the agency.