The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday arrested Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira in connection with a money-laundering case linked to drugs trafficking. The ED's Delhi team took him into custody from Punjab under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The central probe agency had conducted searches at eight locations linked in Khaira in Chandigarh in March. The property of his son-in-law in Delhi was also searched in connection with a drugs money laundering and a fake passport racket case. The investigation against Khaira began after the ED took cognisance of two separate cases. The ED has unveiled a Rs 3.5 crore money trail in this connection, sources informed.
Top fashion designers, who designed Khaira's daughter's trousseau, were also summoned during the probe. They were allegedly paid partly in cash.
He recently rejoined the Congress after leaving the Aam Aadmi Party and his own Punjab Ekta Party. Though elected to the state Assembly in 2017 on an AAP ticket, he later resigned, citing the dictatorial attitude of party chief Arvind Kejriwal.
Khaira had denied any wrongdoing earlier and attributed the raid to his support to the ongoing farmers' protests. Khaira had also sought a judicial inquiry into the death of Navreet Singh. Singh, a young protestor, had died during the tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi held as part of the farmers' protests earlier this year.