Lagatar24 Desk
Sonepat: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Sonepat Congress MLA Surender Panwar on Saturday in connection with a money-laundering case linked to illegal mining activities in Yamunanagar and other areas of Haryana.
In January, the ED conducted searches at premises linked to Panwar and his associates in Sonepat, as well as the residences of BJP leader Manoj Wadhwa in Karnal and INLD MLA Dilbagh Singh and his associates in Yamunanagar district. Singh was subsequently taken into custody for further questioning.
According to PTI, the ED teams were accompanied by armed personnel from central paramilitary forces during the searches. The money-laundering case originates from multiple FIRs registered by the Haryana Police, which investigated the alleged illegal mining of boulders, gravel, and sand in Yamunanagar and nearby districts, even after the expiration of mining leases and court orders prohibiting such activities.
The central agency is also investigating alleged fraud in the ‘e-ravan’ scheme, an online portal introduced by the Haryana government in 2020 to streamline the collection of royalties and taxes and to prevent tax evasion in mining areas.
In July 2022, Panwar tendered his resignation to assembly speaker Gian Chand Gupta, citing personal reasons, including threats to his family’s safety and well-being. “My son has been getting death threats, but since you have assured me that adequate security will be provided to us, I am withdrawing my resignation,” Panwar wrote at the time.
Later, Panwar announced that he was retracting his resignation after the assembly speaker assured him of adequate security arrangements. “The speaker told me to come and meet him personally. He assured me and other MLAs that adequate measures will be taken to ensure our security and that the culprits will be traced and arrested,” Panwar stated.
Legal experts pointed out that the speaker could not have accepted Panwar’s resignation based solely on electronic communication, without hearing him in person.
The arrest of Panwar marks a significant development in the ED’s ongoing efforts to tackle illegal mining and associated money-laundering activities in Haryana.
