The ED (Enforcement Directorate) arrested Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, a nephew of Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, from Jalandhar on Friday. A few weeks back, ED raided his houses and offices in connection with money laundering allegations linked to a 2018 illegal sand mining case.
Bhupinder Singh’s arrest comes around just two weeks before the Punjab Assembly elections in February 2022.
Reportedly, ED had seized Rs 10 Crore cash during raids conducted on 19th January in a money-laundering investigation against illegal sand mining operations in Punjab.
ED officials said that action had been initiated after taking cognizance of the 2018 FIR of the Nawanshahr Police and some other police complaints against individuals and companies who are alleged to be involved in illegal sand mining in the Punjab state.
After the raids, Chief Minister Channi had accused the BJP-led central government of hatching a conspiracy to trap him in the case ahead of Punjab Assembly polls 2022.
Channi had also hit out at the BJP for trying to revenge over the return of PM Narendra Modi without attending a scheduled event and addressing a rally during his visit to Ferozepur last month.
Channi had claimed that his nephew was not even booked in the case.