Delhi liquor scam: ED raids Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh’s residence, offices

Kulwant Singh was in Delhi since Monday and reached his Sector-71 residence around 3 pm when the ED raid was still going on. The ED sleuths also seized some documents from the MLA’s office in Sector 82 and also questioned his employees, including about Kulwant Singh’s connections with liquor businessmen in the state.

Kulwant Singh later said he was not aware of the purpose of the raid. The MLA claimed that he kept asking the ED officials about the purpose of the searches but was told that it was a routine raid. He added that he answered all the questions of the ED.

Sources in the ED said the action is part of the ongoing probe under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and linked to the Delhi excise policy case in which the federal agency has summoned Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for questioning on November 2.

The raids, also at several other locations in Amritsar and Ludhiana, comes days after Governor Banwarilal Purohit asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take “strict action” against the Kulwant Singh’s real estate company — Janta Land Promoters Limited (JLPL) — which is developing two projects in Mohali allegedly in violation of environmental norms.

It was in 1984 that Kulwant Singh arrived in Zirakpur from the village Samana Kalan in Ropar district. The son of an army personnel, he initially earned a living by working on weighbridges and selling dry fodder from horse-drawn carts. Mohali was witnessing a growth in realty with people from rural Punjab migrating to the district adjoining Chandigarh, the capital that the state shares with Haryana, while looking for jobs.

Seeing the potential in the booming real estate market, Kulwant Singh partnered with his employer, Madho Singh, to purchase five acres of land in Zirakpur. This marked his foray into the real estate business.

In the late 1980s, Kulwant Singh made a significant move by developing a residential enclave in Kharar-Janta Land, which also served as the inspiration for his real estate company, JLPL.

As business grew, in 1995, Kulwant Singh made his foray into politics by contesting civic body elections in Mohali from ward number 21. He secured a victory and later became the vice-president of the Mohali Municipal Council, a position he held until 2000. His political journey continued as he was re-elected as a councilor and eventually rose to become the president of the civic body.

Kulwant Singh’s moniker, ‘Pradhan Ji,’ was widely recognised until 2014 when he entered the Lok Sabha elections as a candidate from the Fatehgarh Sahib constituency on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket. Despite an intensive campaign, he finished in third place.

In 2015, Kulwant Singh achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first mayor of Mohali, albeit after parting ways with SAD. His decision to rebel was triggered by dissatisfaction with the selection of party candidates. Kulwant Singh’s ‘Azad Group’ clinched victory in 10 wards, and with the support of the Congress, he was sworn in as the mayor in August 2015.

His tenure as mayor was fraught with challenges, including allegations of impropriety in the purchase of a tree trimming machine, made by the then cabinet minister and Mohali MLA, Balbir Singh Sidhu. Supporters of Kulwant Singh strongly defended him, asserting that his personal vehicles were more expensive than the machine.

Known for his connections cutting across political parties, Kulwant Singh was considered close to former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh during his tenure from 2002 to 2007. Despite earlier tension, even SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, a rival political figure, sought common ground with him.

In 2022, Kulwant Singh won the Assembly elections, defeating the incumbent MLA, Balbir Singh Sidhu, from Mohali. This victory solidified his position as a force to be reckoned with in Punjab’s political arena, proving that his journey from selling dry fodder to legislative triumph was nothing short of extraordinary.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikramjit Singh Majithia welcomed the ED raids. “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 Admi Party,” Majithia said on X.