Punjab Sugar Mill Money Laundering Case: ED Conducts Raids On Akali Leader Wahid’s Premises

Chandigarh: The enforcement directorate (ED) sleuths on Wednesday initiated searches at the premises of senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Jarnail Singh Wahid in Punjab’s Phagwara town in connection with a two year old sugar mill money laundering case.

The searches were conducted on the basis of a vigilance bureau (VB) case lodged against him and his family members for allegedly selling government sugar mill land.

The ED had registered an FIR in September, 2023 against Wahid, his wife Rupinder Kaur and son Sandeep Singh and nine others under various sections of IPC and prevention of corruption Act. The Punjab government had allotted about 31 acre land on lease to Jagatjit Singh Sugar Mills in 1933 for 99 year on certain terms and conditions that it would not be transferable and mortgaged without approval from the state government.

The premises searched included Wahid’s residence and a gym owned by his family in Phagwara. Wahid was co-owner of the mill with his NRI partner Sukhbir Sandal, though it is now being run by Rana Sugar Mills of independent MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh.

Meanwhile, according to media reports, Wahid had also been under ED scanner and faced a case pertaining to alleged money laundering through hawala in 2003.