In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids on Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar and former INLD legislator Dilbag Singh, among others, as part of a money laundering case related to alleged illegal mining in Yamuna Nagar district. The raids, spanning 20 locations in areas including Yamuna Nagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh, and Karnal, are conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case stems from multiple FIRs registered by Haryana Police to investigate the purported illegal mining of boulders, gravel, and sand in Yamuna Nagar and nearby districts, even beyond the lease expiry period and court orders. The ED is also examining potential fraud in the ‘e-ravan’ scheme, an online portal introduced by the Haryana government in 2020 to streamline the collection of royalties and taxes, aiming to prevent tax evasion in mining areas.
This development adds to the ongoing scrutiny of political figures by the ED, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren currently under investigation in separate money laundering cases. Both leaders, who have skipped ED summons, remain closely monitored by the financial probe agency.
As the ED intensifies its efforts in uncovering financial irregularities, the political landscape becomes more entangled in legal intricacies, raising questions about transparency and accountability.
