Punjab CM Channi's nephew sent to 14-day judicial custody in illegal sand mining case
1 min read . Updated: 11 Feb 2022, 02:47 PM IST
PremiumED had arrested Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey in an illegal sand mining case from Jalandhar earlier in February
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged illegal sand mining case, has been sent to a 14-day judicial custody, reported news agency ANI on Friday.
Honey was arrested by ED earlier this month from Jalandhar after day-long questioning, under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
ED's action came around 20 days after it seized more than ₹10 crore, gold worth above 21 lakh and a Rolex watch worth ₹12 lakh from the residential premises of Honey and others in connection with an alleged illegal sand mining case.
The ED had declared the recoveries after it concluded its two-day raid conducted at the business and residential premises of the accused persons and their associates in over a dozen places in Mohali, Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib and Pathankot.
The federal agency had also raided the premises of the accused persons and their associates including Kudratdeep Singh, the owner of Pinjore Royalty Company, and his partners and shareholders Kanwarmahip Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sunil Kumar Joshi, Jagveer Inder Singh on 18 and 19 January.
The raids were also conducted at the premises of Randeep Singh, the owner of Providers Overseas Consultants Pvt Ltd and its other directors and shareholders including Bhupinder Singh and Sandeep Kumar.
ED initiated a money-laundering investigation on the basis of FIR registered at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar Police Station under section 379, 420, 465, 467, 468 and 471 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 21(1) and 4(1) of Mines and Minerals (Regulation of Development) Act, 1957 in March 2018.
Following this, Honey was remanded to the ED custody till 11 February.
Honey's partner Kudratdeep Singh of Ludhiana and 25 others are already booked by Punjab Police and its FIR was registered in 2018.
Punjab CM Channi had earlier termed the raids by ED in January a political vendetta, saying: "Congress party and its leaders will not budge under any pressure."
With the Assembly election in Punjab slated for 20 February, the timing of raids and arrest of Punjab CM's nephew is likely to rise the electioneering mercury in the state.
