The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched searches at various locations in Punjab, including the properties of AAP MLA Kulwant Singh, as part of a money laundering investigation with connections to a drugs trafficking case. These operations involve the deployment of central paramilitary forces personnel and encompass areas in Mohali, Amritsar, and Ludhiana.
AAP MLA Kulwant Singh, aged 61, represents the Mohali constituency in the Punjab assembly and is renowned as the wealthiest legislator in the state, with assets valued at ₹1,000 crore. Singh joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in December 2021 and successfully secured a ticket from Mohali in the 2022 assembly elections. Previously, in 2015, he made history by becoming the first mayor of the Mohali municipal corporation House with the support of the Congress. Subsequently, in 2017, he joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). However, he was expelled from the SAD in January 2021 for “anti-party activities” after deciding to contest the 2021 civic polls independently, where he did not succeed.
The ED’s actions are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and are reportedly based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Punjab Police. This FIR pertains to a narcotics and drugs trafficking case, and the ED is investigating potential money laundering activities connected to it.
Notably, the MLA recently made headlines when Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to take “strict action” against the legislator’s real estate company. This request came after allegations that two of the company’s projects violated environmental norms.
The ED’s actions underscore the ongoing investigations related to money laundering and drug-related activities in the state of Punjab, raising questions about the intersection of politics, wealth, and legal scrutiny.
Sources By Agencies
