The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the premises of Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira and a few others on Tuesday in connection with a money-laundering case linked to narcotics trafficking and the creation of an alleged fake passport, officials said.
They said the searches are being carried out in Chandigarh, some other locations in Haryana as well as in Punjab and Delhi.
The action is being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is aimed at gathering more evidence to take forward the probe, the officials said.
The PMLA probe is related to alleged drugs trafficking and a fake passport case, they said, adding that a few accused in the case are lodged in jail.
Khaira is a legislator of the Punjab Ekta Party, a party he founded. He was elected to the state Assembly in 2017 on a ticket of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Khaira has been a vehement supporter of the ongoing farmers' protests. He has been bitterly critical of the BJP government's handling of the farmers' agitation. Khaira’s counsel, R.S. Bains, was quoted by IANS as saying the raid against the MLA was “conducted to target those supporting the ongoing farmers' agitation against three new agricultural laws”.
Ahead of the start of the farmers' protests last November, Khaira had accused the Centre of harbouring ill will against Punjab by stopping movement of trains in the state.
Khaira had also sought a judicial inquiry into the death of Navreet Singh, a young protester, during the tractor rally by farmers on Republic Day. While Delhi Police had claimed Navreet had died after his tractor overturned, his family had alleged he had been shot.
(With PTI inputs)
