New Delhi, Dec 2:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids against two former Punjab forest ministers and Congress leaders, Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and Sangat Singh Giljian, seizing “incriminating” documents, mobile phones, and electronic devices. The investigation is part of an alleged forest scam-linked money laundering probe, focusing on charges of bribery in the state forest department related to permits for tree felling and departmental transfer/posting.
The raids, carried out on November 30 in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi, targeted residential premises of Dharamsot, Giljian, their associates, forest officers, and private individuals. Dharamsot, a five-time MLA, was previously arrested this year in a case linked to alleged possession of disproportionate assets. The money laundering case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, originated from an FIR by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, addressing irregularities and bribery allegations in the forest department.
Various incriminating documents and digital devices seized during the searches reveal suspicious transactions involving individuals under investigation, according to the ED statement.
