NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Sonipat Congress MLA Surender Panwar in connection with a money-laundering case linked to illegal mining in some areas of the state. According to official sources, the agency may take Panwar to the PMLA Special Court in Ambala, where they will seek custody.
An ED team reached the MLA’s residence on the early hours of Saturday and questioned him for awhile before he was placed under arrest.
The ED’s case stems from multiple FIRs registered by Haryana Police related to illegal mining in Yamunanagar, Sonipat and several other districts. The National Green Tribunal had also passed various orders in this regard over illegal mining operations.
According to sources, the ED’s investigation revealed illegal excavation and sale of minerals (boulder, gravel and sand) by numerous screening plant owners and stone crushers of Yamunanagar District.
“This was done through illegal transportation of the mined minerals without generating the requisite e-Rawana bills from the Mining Department portal, or by production of fake copies of e-Rawana bills upon inspection, and other operations to evade the authorities,” the source said.
In January, the ED had conducted search operations at 20 premises in Faridabad, Sonipat, Karnal, Chandigarh, etc.
Ex-MLA too was held
After the searches in Junuary, ex-INLD MLA Dilbag Singh and his aide Kulwinder Singh were arrested under the provisions of PMLA. The ED recovered `5 crore cash, foreign-made firearms and 300 cartridges in the searches