Lal Singh’s ED custody extended by 5 days

Jammu, Nov 14: A special local court Tuesday granted the Enforcement Directorate an extension of five days vis-à-vis the custody of the chairman Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party and former minister Chowdhary Lal Singh in a money laundering case.
The Special Public Prosecutor Ashwani Khajuria told the media-persons that Singh was produced before the court through video-conference after the expiry of his 7-day remand on Tuesday.
After granting extension to ED in response to its detailed objections to the regular bail plea of Singh, the court asked ED to produce him (Singh) on November 18 through virtual mode. The Investigation Officer was also asked to expedite the probe against Singh by the court.

On November 8, a day after his arrest, Singh was sent to seven-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) by the court.
The former minister was arrested by ED sleuths from a house in Chowadi in Sainik Colony in Jammu outskirts after his anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Special Judge CBI Jammu Bala Jyoti on November 7. However, the court had extended the bail application of his wife Kanta Andotra and their daughter Dr Kranti Singh up to November 30.
Prior to his arrest the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had questioned him for two days on November 4 and 6, in connection with a case of money laundering allegedly by RB Educational Trust, Jammu belonging to his (Singh’s) family.

Singh’s wife and former MLA Kanta Andotra is the chairperson of R B Educational Trust, against which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had lodged an FIR in 2020 and charge sheet was filed in 2021.
She (Andotra) too was questioned by ED on October 18, a day after raids were conducted (by ED) at several locations including her residence.
On October 17, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) had conducted search operations at eight locations spread over Jammu and Kathua districts in the Union Territory of J&K and Pathankot, Punjab under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in a case against RB Educational Trust, Jammu, Ajay Singh, former DC Kathua and other Revenue officers/officials.

Searches were conducted at multiple locations including the office of the trust situated at the village. Karandi Khurd PO Rajbagh Kathua and residential premises of these persons.
“Residential premises of land donors and other middlemen whose names had surfaced during the course of investigation were also searched. ED initiated investigation on the basis of FIR registered and subsequent chargesheet filed by CBI ACB, Jammu against RB Educational Trust, Jammu, Ajay Singh, the then DC Kathua and other Revenue officers/officials,” ED spokesperson had said, in an official statement.

“ED investigation revealed that RB Educational Trust through its Chairperson Kanta Andotra (ex-MLA), her husband Ch Lal Singh (ex-minister and two times ex-MP) and other trustees in connivance with Ravinder Singh (the then Patwari), Gaurav Sharma (the then Naib Tehsildar) and Subhash Chander (the then Tehsildar) had entered into criminal conspiracy during the period 2011 for wrongful issuance of ‘fards’ so as to retain lands to the extent of more than 328 kanals in favor of her trust beyond the permissible limit of 100 standard kanals,” he had said.
According to the ED spokesperson, during the course of search, various incriminating documents in the form of property documents, Power of attorneys, hard disk, digital device, digital evidence and loose papers were found and seized.