Lal Singh questioned by ED in money laundering case

Former Jammu and Kashmir minister Choudhary Lal Singh was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate for over 10 hours on Monday in a case against an educational trust run by his wife and former legislator Kanta Andotra.

Jammu, November 6: Former Jammu and Kashmir minister Choudhary Lal Singh was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for over 10 hours on Monday in connection with a case against an educational trust run by his wife and former legislator Kanta Andotra. Scores of Singh's supporters led by his wife Andotra assembled outside the agency office and staged a protest against the ED summons to their leader. They claimed he was being harassed at the behest of the BJP.

Singh Appears Before ED for Second Time

Singh, the chairman of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party, reached the probe agency's office in Narwal at 10 am for questioning for a second time in three days. ED sleuths had questioned him on Saturday as well. After over a 10-hour-long grilling, Singh came out from the ED office and addressed his supporters, claiming that he was a victim of political vendetta.

Singh Alleges Political Vendetta

"Our fight for the legitimate rights of the Dogras will continue but the Dogras also need to come together," Singh, who is leading a campaign for a separate state comprising the Jammu region, said. He alleged that politics has witnessed a decline as political rivals are being harassed. "We are not so weak to compromise and I am ready to face jail or death." Singh said his family had set up a trust to educate the children for their better future and had done no wrong.

ED Conducts Searches in Jammu

Last month, the Enforcement Directorate conducted searches in Jammu and its adjoining areas as part of a money laundering probe against the educational trust of Andotra and a former government official in connection with alleged irregularities in land purchase to set up the trust. The federal agency had raided about eight premises in Jammu, Kathua, and Punjab's Pathankot on October 17 in the case against RB Educational Trust, its chairperson, and Ravinder S, a former revenue official.

Money Laundering Case

The money laundering case stems from an October 2021 charge sheet filed by the CBI in this case which alleged criminal connivance in the issuance of land between January 4 and January 7, 2011, without mentioning details regarding 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. Based on this, the trust acquired multiple pieces of land of about 329 kanals vide three gift deeds executed on January 5 and January 7, 2011, the CBI charge sheet claimed.

Supporters Protest Outside ED Office

Singh's supporters staged a dharna outside the ED office throughout the day and chanted slogans in his support and against the BJP. A delegation of Yuva Rajput Sabha led by its former president Rajan Singh Happy and members of the Gujjar and Bakerwal communities also visited the protest site in support of Singh.

Andotra Alleges BJP's Vendetta

"It is simply a political vendetta as the BJP-led central government is using federal agencies against its opponents to harass, humiliate, and defame them. They have nothing to prove against us and we are not going to bow down before the BJP," Andotra said. "We will strengthen democracy and safeguard the interests of Jammu. We will not be cowed down by such steps," she said, claiming that the BJP wants to put her husband in jail.

Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party's Women Wing President Suman Wazir

The Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party's women's wing president Suman Wazir alleged that Singh was being deliberately harassed as the BJP was feeling threatened by its potential opponents ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year. "Our leader has a spotless political career and this is the reason for us to come on the roads," she said. Questioning the timing of the ED action, she said they do not have any objection to an investigation by the federal agency but the problem is that the BJP is using them to silence the opposition parties.

The ED's questioning of former Jammu and Kashmir minister Choudhary Lal Singh in connection with a money laundering case has sparked allegations of political vendetta from his supporters. Singh, who is leading a campaign for a separate state comprising the Jammu region, has claimed that he is being targeted by the BJP-led central government. The ED has not yet commented on the allegations.