CHANDIGARH: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at multiple places in Punjab, including on the premises of AAP MLA from Mohali, Kulwant Singh, as part of the alleged liquor scam. Singh, who belongs to the Aam Aadmi Party, owns a real estate company called Janta Land Promoters Limited and is one of the richest politicians in Punjab. He won last year’s assembly elections by defeating former cabinet minister and Congress leader Balbir Singh Sidhu.
The ED action is being undertaken under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency sleuths, accompanied by CRPF personnel, reached the Sector 71 house of Kulwant Singh around 7.15 am. He was not at the house at the time. Later, the backside entry of the house was locked. Locations in Mohali, Amritsar and Ludhiana were covered by the federal probe agency along with an escort of central paramilitary forces personnel, said sources.
The raids came a day after Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was summoned by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam. Reacting to the development, SAD leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia tweeted, “ED has raided AAP MLA Kulwant Singh in connection with liquor scam of Delhi and Punjab. After summoning Delhi CM and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, now ED has started working on Punjab link of this liquor scam. This exercise is necessary to expose Rs 550 crore corruption done in Punjab excise scam in which CM Bhagwant Mann, Harpal Cheema are main culprits and main beneficiary is Aam Aadmi Party.”
Recently, Punjab governor and Chandigarh administrator Banwari Lal Purohit wrote a letter to Mann in which he termed two projects by Mohali AAP MLA Kulwant Singh as being in violation of the environmental laws, and asked the state government to initiate action against him for violating wildlife norms. An action taken report has been sought from the state government on the issue. He said the observation had been made by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
SAD leader welcomes development
Reacting to the development, SAD leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia tweeted, “ED has raided AAP MLA Kulwant Singh in connection with liquor scam of Delhi and Punjab. After summoning Delhi CM and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, now ED has started working on Punjab link of this liquor scam. This exercise is necessary to expose Rs 550 crore corruption done in Punjab excise scam in which CM Bhagwant Mann, Harpal Cheema are main culprits