New Delhi/Chandigarh: The ED raided the premises of rebel AAP MLA from Punjab Sukhpal Singh Khaira, his family members in Delhi and some jailed convicts on Tuesday in a money-laundering case linked to the 2015 Fazilka narcotics trafficking case and a fake passport racket.
The officials said the searches are being carried out at Khaira's residence in Chandigarh, five other locations in Haryana and Punjab and two places in Delhi, including the house of his son-in-law, Inderveer Singh Johal.
At the time of the raid Khaira was present in the house along with his lawyer son.
Khaira (56) is a legislator of the Punjab Ekta Party, which he founded in 2019. He is an MLA from Bholath in Kapurthala district. Khaira was elected to the state Assembly in 2017 on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket. He had resigned from the AAP citing the 'dictatorial' attitude of party chief Arvind Kejriwal.
The agency alleged that Khaira is an "associate" of the drugs racket convicts and fake passport racketeers.
The official said that the agency is looking after the property papers as well as banking transactions of Khaira.
Sources in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said the action is being carried out against the Punjab lawmaker and others under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is aimed at gathering more evidence to take forward the probe.
The investigation, under money-laundering charges, is related to alleged drugs trafficking and a fake passport case, they said.
A few accused, who are being investigated in the case, are lodged in jail, the sources said.
Meanwhile, Khaira denied any wrongdoing. His counsel blamed the raid for supporting the ongoing farmers' agitation.
Senior advocate R S Bains, who reached Khaira's residence, told the media that the raid was conducted to target those supporting the ongoing farmers' agitation against three new agricultural laws.
On March 8, Khaira supported the farmers by tweeting, "Our women farmers are our strength. They are sitting in the protest alongside men from last three months as well. They also know that how these laws will affect their lives. Their presence in the protest give us double power."
The Case
The case pertains to the probe in the 2015 Fazilka (Punjab) drugs-smuggling case, in which1,800 grams of heroin, 24 gold biscuits, two weapons, 26 live cartridges and two Pakistani SIM cards were seized from a gang of international drug smugglers by security agencies.
The central agency recently filed a PMLA case in connection with the case, which was first lodged by the Punjab Police.
"The drugs were smuggled through the India-Pakistan border and one of the kingpins of the syndicate is in the UK. Sukhpal Singh Khaira was actively aiding and supporting the gang of international smugglers and enjoying the proceeds of crime," the ED has alleged.
Some of the convicts of the Fazilka drugs case, currently lodged in jail, were also searched and questioned, the agency said.
They were identified as Gurdev Singh, Manjit Singh, Harbans Singh and Subhash Chander, all residents of Fazilka district.
Three people allegedly involved in the fake passport racket - Harminder Kaur (Jalandhar resident), Rajwinder Kaur (Kapurthala) and Bikker Singh (Kapurthala) - were also searched.
"Incriminating documents and digital devices have been seized," an ED officer said.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)
