The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted extensive searches in connection with a money laundering case related to alleged illegal mining in Haryana on Thursday. The raids targeted former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Dilbag Singh and Congress MLA from Sonipat, Surender Panwar.
According to official sources, the raids recovered a substantial cache of items, including foreign-made rifles, approximately 300 cartridges, Rs 5 crore in cash, and over 100 bottles of liquor. The premises linked to Dilbag Singh and his associates also saw the recovery of 4-5 kilograms of gold biscuits and jewellery, along with documents pertaining to assets in India and abroad.
The Enforcement Directorate’s operations, carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), covered around 20 locations in Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh, and Karnal. The searches, still ongoing at some locations, aimed to uncover details linked to the alleged illegal mining activities and financial irregularities involving the two politicians.
The money laundering case originates from multiple FIRs filed by Haryana Police, investigating the alleged illegal mining of boulders, gravel, and sand in Yamunanagar and nearby districts beyond the lease expiry period, despite a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
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Additionally, the ED is delving into suspected fraud associated with the ‘e-Ravana’ scheme, an online portal introduced by the Haryana government in 2020 to streamline the collection of royalties and taxes in mining areas.
According to ED sources, a syndicate allegedly linked to Dilbag Singh and Surender Panwar was implicated in these activities.