Former Jammu and Kashmir minister Lal Singh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday. This occurred shortly after an anti-corruption court dismissed his anticipatory bail application related to a money laundering case.
The federal agency had been investigating Lal Singh in connection with a case filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The case focused on an educational trust operated by his wife, former legislator Kanta Andotra.
Choudhary Lal Singh, who chairs the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP), was apprehended in the evening from a residence in the Chawadi area of Sainik Colony on the outskirts of the city (Jammu). Reportedly, the former minister made efforts to elude arrest.
Upon learning of Singh’s arrest, a group of his supporters, led by Andotra, gathered outside the ED office in Narwal. They attempted to enter but were stopped by CRPF personnel. Andotra pleaded for permission to meet her husband. To maintain law and order, additional police reinforcements were dispatched to the scene.
Lal Singh, a two-time MP and three-time MLA, switched from the Congress to the BJP in 2014 and served as a minister in the previous PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir. This coalition government fell apart in June 2018 when the national party withdrew its support.
Several months before the government’s collapse, Singh resigned from the BJP and founded the DSSP after facing backlash for participating in a rally supporting the accused in a rape and murder case involving an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in January 2018. He defended his participation, stating that he was there to “defuse the situation.”
Earlier on the same day, the anti-corruption court in Jammu rejected Singh’s bail application. However, his wife and their daughter Kranti Singh received relief as their interim anticipatory bail was extended until November 30, with instructions to cooperate fully with the investigation agency.
Special Judge Bala Jyoti issued three separate orders after considering arguments presented by Special Public Prosecutor Ashwani Khajuria, who represented the ED, and advocate Rajesh Kotwal, who represented the applicants.
On November 1, Singh, his wife, and their daughter filed separate applications seeking pre-arrest bail for alleged offenses under the PMLA. The court initially granted them interim bail and requested a detailed response from the ED.
The ED had questioned Singh on Saturday and Monday. On both days, scores of his supporters, led by his wife, protested outside the agency’s headquarters, accusing the BJP of framing him in the case.
Last month, the ED conducted searches in Jammu and its surrounding areas as part of the money laundering investigation involving the educational trust of Andotra and a former government official. This investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in land acquisition for the trust.
The money laundering case originated from a charge sheet filed by the CBI in October 2021, alleging criminal collusion in land issuance between January 4 and January 7, 2011. The charge sheet claimed that land was transferred to the trust without specifying the violation of the ceiling limit of 100 standard kanals under the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976, resulting in undue financial gain to the trust.
In agreement with the arguments presented by SPP Khujuria, the judge stated that due to the nature and gravity of the allegations and the stage of investigation, the investigating agency must be given adequate time for a thorough and effective investigation. Therefore, the court denied bail to Lal Singh, as it would hinder the ongoing investigation.
The court emphasized that the PMLA grants the ED extensive powers for search, seizure, and investigation, as money laundering is a serious threat not only to the financial system of the country but also to the global economy. Dismissing the former minister’s bail application, the judge deemed it devoid of legal basis at this stage due to the serious nature of the allegations.
Regarding the application submitted by Andotra, the court noted that she already had absolute bail in the CBI charge sheet, which forms the basis of the predicate offense. Furthermore, the court extended her interim bail until November 30, as the investigation was still ongoing, with a directive to cooperate with the investigating agency without fail.
Similarly, the court extended the interim bail of their daughter Kranti Singh, who serves as one of the trustees of the educational trust, until November 30. This extension came with instructions not to violate the conditions of the bail, including cooperating with the investigating agency without fail.