Sacked Punjab minister Vijay Singla is now under ED lens

An audio clip, which is recorded during the sting operation in which Singla’s officer on special duty (OSD) was heard seeking “Shukrana” (commission) on the sanctioned government contracts, is crucial evidence. Sources in the ED informed that if the money is being earned by the means of ‘bribe’ as disclosed in this audio clip in lieu of giving government contracts to a contractor then such a case can be further probed by the ED after registering the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR).

While talking about Singla’s coming under ED lens, ED sources quoted a recent case of illegal sand mining in which Bhupinder Singh Honey, the nephew of former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, was booked and arrested under PMLA sections by ED.

ED sources, said that in that case even the name of Honey was not in the police FIR, which was registered in 2018 and was the base of ED ECIR, but still Honey was arrested by ED because his partner in a Firm Kudratdeep Singh was booked in that illegal sand mining by police (Though later police absolved him from the charges of illegal sand mining in its inquiry).

And also during ED raid on the premises of Honey, a huge amount of money was recovered which later Honey admitted before ED that he had earned through illegal sand mining and through the transfers of the officials, who gave money for transfers of their choice, and now in Singla’s case also a huge amount in crores of rupees was demanded by the OSD of the minister from the contractor and deal was struck in Rs 5 lakh and accumulation of wealth by such means is a fit case to be treated under various sections of PMLA, added ED sources.