The investigative agency raided the house of Minister Channi’s nephew in connection with illegal sand mining.
New Delhi:
The grandson of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and several others were raided by the Enforcement Board today for their involvement in illegal sand mining, just weeks before the state elections.
Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey’s home and 10 other places in Punjab were searched early this morning.
Officials said the Bureau of Enforcement had filed a money-laundering case and was investigating several people with political connections.
The raids come amid an intense election campaign in Punjab, with voting set to take place on 20 February. Results will be announced on 10 March.
Illegal sand mining is one of the highlights of the Punjab campaign. The ruling parliament has been accused by former minister Amarinder Singh of being involved in trade.
Amarinder Singh, who left Parliament after being fired from his position as a Minister in September, alleges that all Parliamentary MLAs are involved in the illegal sand trade.
“If I were to start naming, I would have to start from scratch,” he said last month.
Mr. Singh also told reporters that he had informed Parliament Speaker Sonia Gandhi about the MLAs involved.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has emerged as a strong challenger to Parliament in Punjab, has also targeted Chief Minister Channi over allegations of illegal sand mining in his constituency.
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