Bhupinder Singh Honey, nephew of former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, has been charged in an illegal mining case, said a senior Punjab Police official on Monday.
Police registered an FIR against Honey and Kudratdeep Singh alias Lovie for allegedly carrying out illegal mining in the area of Malikpur mining site in 2017 in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar.
Addressing the media here, Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill said police had received a report from the Enforcement Directorate which, in its investigation, had found excess mining at the site and 73 fake weighment slips.
After registering the FIR, police sent a notice to Honey to join the investigations in this case, while Kudratdeep, who is in Kapurthala jail, will be brought on production warrant on Tuesday, officials said.
The development came over two months after the Enforcement Directorate in its letter (dated May 9) to the senior superintendent of police, SBS Nagar, had shared information regarding 73 fake weighment slips and details of the output of sand more than reported to the mining department from illegal mining at Malikpur sand mining site recovered during the course of searches.
Gill said a special investigation team (SIT), led by superintendent of police (investigation), SBS Nagar, was formed to probe the case.
He said a report of the state mining department had also found illegal mining at the site.
When asked about any role of the former CM in this case, Gill said whosoever found to be involved in it, an action will be taken as per law.
After thorough investigation, the SIT found that both the accused had allegedly conducted illegal mining in that area using heavy machinery, violating the provisions of environment clearance issued by the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority Punjab, said police.
Following the investigations, the SIT recommended to lodge an FIR against Honey and Kudratdeep Singh.
A case under relevant sections of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act, the Indian Penal Code and section 15 of the Environment Protection Act was registered at Rahon police station.
Notably, the ED in January this year had conducted searches at the premises of Honey and Kudratdeep.
The ED had then recovered various indiscriminating documents, digital devices, and cash to the tune of Rs 9.97 crore relatable to the proceeds of crime generated by way of illegal sand mining activities at the Malikpur mining site. Honey was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in a case linked to alleged illegal sand mining.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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