Punjab CM Channi’s nephew received Rs 10 crore for sand mining, transfers: ED

The agency on January 18 conducted searches at various premises, including the business and residential premises of Kudratdeep Singh and other directors of M/s Providers Overseas Consultants Pvt. Ltd, a company, which ED has alleged, is involved in illegal sand mining. Bhupinder along with one Sandeep Kumar is one of the directors in the company.

Following the searches, summons was issued to Bhupinder asking him on February 3 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 statement said, adding that he was arrested after this.

Bhupinder’s custody with the ED is set to end on Tuesday.

Channi has said that the illegal sand mining case in which his nephew has been arrested was being unnecessarily linked to him. “The matter is now in the court. We will accept whatever the court decides. But it is unnecessarily being linked to me,” Channi had said at the time of Bhupinder’s arrest.

The ED case is based on an FIR registered at Rohan Police Station in SBS Nagar, Punjab. The FIR has alleged that a team comprising officials of the mining department, civil administration and police department made a surprise check on March 7, 2018 based on a complaint regarding illegal sand mining. Consequently, it was found that several mines were being excavated by various machines and mining was being carried out beyond the designated area, the ED has claimed.

“Accordingly, several tippers/trucks, Porcelain machines, JCB Machines etc. were captured and seized by the investigating team. The seized tipper/trucks were also found to be overloaded with sand. The seized weighment slips having office stamps had not been issued by the concerned office and were forged. Subsequently, the mining operation at Malikpur mining site (belonging to Kudratdeep Singh) and the approval of weighment Slips were stopped by the team. As per the FIR, apart from Malikpur, illegal mining activities were also carried out at Burjtahl Das, Barsal, Lalewal, Mandala and Khosa,” the ED statement said.

Financial records of the Providers Overseas Consultants for the year 2019-20, accessed by The Indian Express, show its total revenue from operations at around Rs 18.38 lakh with a total loss of Rs 4.74 lakh after meeting its expenses. The firm with the main function of education and immigration consulting has three directors, including Kudratdeep Singh, Honey and Sandeep Kumar. Each of them hold 33.33 per cent shares in the firm.