ED conducts searches at 8 locations in PMLA case against educational trust run by ex-minister’s wife
STATE TIMES NEWS
Jammu: The Enforcement Directorate Tuesday conducted searches in Jammu and adjoining areas as part of a money laundering probe against an educational trust run by ex-minister Lal Singh’s wife and a former government official in connection with alleged irregularities in land purchase to set up the trust, official sources said.
The federal agency raided about eight premises in Jammu, Kathua and Punjab’s Pathankot in the case against RB educational trust, its chairperson and Lal Singh’s wife Kanta Andotra, as well as Ravinder S, a former revenue official.
The money laundering case stems from an October 2021 charge sheet filed by the CBI in this case which alleged criminal connivance in the issuance of land between January 4 and January 7, 2011, without mentioning details in respect of violation of the ceiling limit of 100 standard kanals imposed under Section 14 of the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, thereby giving undue pecuniary advantage to trust.
Based on this, the trust acquired multiple pieces of land of about 329 Kanals vide three gift deeds executed on January 5 and January 7, 2011, the CBI charge sheet claimed.
The sources said the ED has found that excess land is being actively used by the trust for running DPS Schools and other commercial activities. The premises being covered in Tuesday’s search include those related to the trust, chairperson, land donors, power of attorney holders on behalf of land donors, witnesses who had executed the deeds and the then patwari who wrongfully issued fards for letting RB educational trust execute the deeds, they added.
According to an official handout, the ED conducted searches on eight premises, situated at different locations in Jammu, Kathua and Pathankot in the PMLA case of RB Educational Trust registered on the basis of FIR registered in the matter by CBI vide FIR No. RC0042020A0005 dated September 12, 2020. The chargesheet was filed on October 28, 2021 which established offences committed under Section 120-B of RPC and Section 5(1)(d) rws 5(2) of the J&K PC Act Samvat 2006 by Kanta Andotra (Chairperson RBET) and Ravinder Singh, then Patwari of Patwar Halqa Karandi Khurd and & Muthi Hardo in 2011, who in criminal connivance issued three fards of more than 329 Kanals of land during January 4,2011 to January 7,.2011 without mentioning details in respect of violation of ceiling limit of 100 standard kanals imposed under Section 14 of the J&K Agrarian Reforms Act 1976 thereby giving undue pecuniary advantage to the trust. Basis the three fards, the trust acquired multiple pieces of land approx 329 Kanals vide three gift deeds executed on January 5,2011 and January 7, 2011.
The main persons involved included Ch. Lal Singh, son of Saran Singh, ex-MP and ex-MLA and his wife Kanta Andotra , also an ex-MLA and Chairperson of the trust and the then Patwari.
During the course of investigation by the Directorate, it came to fore that the excess land is being actively used by the trust for running DPS Schools and other commercial activities.
