Enforcement Directorate has filed a chargesheet against former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey. On 3rd February, Bhupinder Singh was arrested in a money laundering probe related to sand mining case. He is presently in judicial custody. Sources say chargesheet has been filed under following sections 3 (offence of money laundering), 4 ( punishment for money laundering), 44 (offences triable by special courts) and 45 (offences to be cognisable and non-bailable), of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The court has fixed 6th April as next date of hearing.
Three months back in a dramatic development, the ED along with paramilitary forces carried out searches across Punjab. This move happened after a money laundering case was filed taking cognisance of FIRs registered by the Punjab Police in sand mining cases.
Around Rs 10 crore was seized during searches in January. Of this, Rs 7.9 crore was recovered from premises of Bhupinder Singh Honey. On 3rd February, ED arrested Honey. At the time of arrest ED had said, “Seized cash was in lieu of facilitation in sand mining operations and transfer/postings of officials.”
Last week the probe agency had summoned former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi but he did not appear before ED officials in Jalandhar. It is expected fresh summons will be issued. “During the course of search operation, statements of Kudratdeep Singh, Bhupinder Singh, Santokh Singh (father of Bhupinder Singh) and Sandeep Kumar were recorded, establishing that the seized Rs 10 crore belonged to Bhupinder Singh S/o Santokh Singh.
Further, Bhupinder Singh accepted that he received the seized cash in lieu of facilitation in sand mining operations and transfer/postings of officials. Fresh summons was issued to Bhupinder Singh for his personal appearance on 03.02.2022 along with requisite documents.
In response, he appeared and tendered his statement, wherein he, inter-alia, stated that he is involved in the mining related activities, but took an evasive approach when confronted with incriminating data, the ED had then said in a statement.
What is Sand Mining Case Against Honey?
In March 2018, the Punjab Police had registered an FIR at police station on a complaint received by mining department and civil administration. Allegations were that illegal mining or mining beyond specified area was being carried out. Several trucks and tippers were seized.
Thereafter, trucks, porcelain machines, JCB machines were seized by the investigating teams. The seized trucks were also found to be overloaded with sand. The weighment slips having office stamps had actually not been issued by the concerned office and were forged.
Kudratdeep Singh was named in the FIR filed in March 2018. But this did not stop him from setting up two companies. One was Pinjore Realty whose partners include Sandeep Kumar. However the second company set up in October 2018 Providers Overseas Consultant that came under scanner of the ED.
Directors of Providers Overseas Consultants were Bhupinder Singh Honey, Sandeep Kumar and Kudratdeep Singh. ED suspects these companies are paper or shell companies which are used for laundering purpose .
