Sand mining case: ED does not report to me, Amarinder Singh hits back at Punjab CM for blaming him for raids on his relative

Chandigarh (Punjab): After Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi blamed former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh for the Enforcement Directorate's raids on one of his relatives, the latter hit back at the former stating "ED doesn't report to me".

The former Punjab chief minister tweeted, "ED doesn't report to me @CHARANJITCHANNI. Nor did I plant the money seized from your kin. So stop blaming me for your family's crimes. As I always say, the law takes its own course, something that @INCIndia forgot when they accused me of shielding culprits."

Singh's statement came after Channi while addressing a press conference on Wednesday had said, "Captain Amarinder Singh and the Badals are behind the raids. They are jealous that a man like me, from a poor family, became the chief minister."

The ED on Wednesday seized more than Rs 10 crore cash, gold worth above 21 lakh and a Rolex watch worth Rs 12 lakh from the residential premises of land mafia Bhupinder Singh Honey, a relative of state Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, and others in connection with an alleged illegal sand mining case.

The Enforcement Directorate 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 ED raids went on from 7.30 am till late night on Tuesday and it again started on early Wednesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Coming to Captain Amarinder Singh, after resigning as chief minister of Punjab, Singh formed his own party - Punjab Lok Congress. Singh's PLC is contesting the Punjab Assembly election with the BJP.

Punjab will go to assembly polls on February 20 and the results will be declared on March 10.

Published on: Thursday, January 20, 2022, 07:21 AM IST