Former J&K minister Lal Singh’s ED custody extended by 5 days in money laundering case

Jammu, Nov 14 (PTI) A court here on Tuesday extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of former Jammu and Kashmir minister Lal Singh in a money laundering case by five more days.

Singh, the chairman of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP), was arrested from a house in the Chawadi area of Sainik Colony here on November 7 after a special court dismissed his anticipatory bail application.

He was under investigation by the ED in connection with a case against an educational trust run by his wife and former legislator Kanta Andotra.

Special public prosecutor Ashwani Khajuria said Singh was produced before the special court on Tuesday through video conference on the expiry of his seven-day remand.

“The investigation of the case is at an initial stage… accused is involved in a serious and non-bailable offence, he is remanded to ED custody for a period of five days only from November 14 to 18,” Khajuria said, quoting the court order.

The court ordered the ED to produce the accused on November 18 through virtual mode only and also directed the investigating officer to expedite the investigation.

Khajuria said the ED has filed a detailed objection in the court of the principal sessions judge, Jammu, to a post-arrest bail plea by the accused.

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.