Punjab drug-PMLA case: ED attaches assets worth Rs 61cr against ex-minister

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth over Rs 61 crore, including a fleet of luxury cars and showrooms, in its drug-money laundering probe against politicians and an ex-minister in Punjab.

The agency issued a provisional attachment order against Jagdish Singh alias Bhola, former Punjab Minister for Jails Sarwan Singh Phillaur, ex-MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary of the state Avinash Chander, Chunni Lal Gaba and eight others.

The ED had earlier attached assets worth Rs 34 in this case, and with the latest order attaching Rs 61.61 crore, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the total attachments stand at over Rs 95 crore.

The agency has also filed a charge sheet against 48 people and companies in this case in the past.

Under the latest order, the ED said, it has attached showrooms, agricultural land, residential houses, assets of businesses, firms, fix deposits and seven luxury cars including Range Rover, Land Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Honda Accord, and Hyundai Terracan of 13 people involved in the case.

Assets of three Canada-based NRIs-- Sukhraj Singh, Jaswinder Singh and Avtar Singh-- have also been attached under the order, it said.

Phillaur's assets are valued at Rs 14.37 lakh while that of Chander are valued at Rs 55.45 lakh, the ED said.

The agency had registered a PMLA case to probe the alleged multi-crore synthetic drugs racket in the state, based on a police FIR of 2013.