Nagpur: Just a few days ahead of elections in Punjab, chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupendra Singh Honey has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths in connection with an illegal sand-mining case.
The probe agency had taken Honey into custody on Thursday night and will be produced in front of the CBI court today. Officials claimed that Honey has been arrested under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In January ED had seized Rs 8 crore during a raid at his premises. The raids too, were made in connection with the illegal sand mining operations in Punjab. Channi while addressing the media said that ahead of assembly polls in West Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee was raided and the ‘same pattern’ is being followed in the poll-bound Punjab. He added that ED is trying to pressure him, the ministers and the Congress leaders with these tactics.
This development comes around 20 days after the ED seized more than Rs 10 crore, gold above 21 lakh and a Rolex watch worth Rs 12 lakh from his residence. Channi also dubbed the move as ‘vendetta politics’ and claimed that his nephew was not even booked in the case.
The arrest plays an important role in Channi’s political career as it is likely to provide more ammunition to the opposition parties which have been accusing the dynasty party of various scams in the sand mining case.
