CM Channi’s Nephew Arrested by ED in Illegal Sand Mining Case Days Before Punjab Elections

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, a nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, from Jalandhar on Friday, weeks after raiding his houses and offices in connection with money laundering allegations linked to a 2018 illegal sand mining case.

Bhupinder Singh’s arrest comes around two weeks before Punjab votes in Assembly elections on February 2022.

The ED had reportedly seized Rs 10 crore cash during raids conducted on January 19 in an anti-money laundering investigation against illegal sand mining operations in Punjab. The seizure reportedly included Rs 8 crore from the premises linked to Bhupinder Singh.

ED officials had then said that action had been initiated after taking cognisance of the 2018 FIR of the Nawanshahr Police and some other police complaints against companies and individuals alleged to be involved in illegal sand mining in the state.

After the raids, Channi had accused the BJP-led central government of hatching a “conspiracy” to “trap” him in the case ahead of Punjab elections 2022.

The CM had also hit out at the BJP for trying to exact “revenge” over the return of Prime Minister Narendra Modi without attending a scheduled event and addressing a rally during his visit to Ferozepur earlier in January.

Channi had dubbed the ED raids as “vendetta politics” and had claimed that his nephew was not even booked in the case.

The arrest of Channi’s nephew is likely to provide more ammunition to the Opposition parties in Punjab who have accused the ruling Congress and Channi of turning a blind eye to illegal sand mining in Chamkaur Sahib, the CM’s constituency.

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