New Delhi, 13 September
The Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to Aam Aadmi Party’s National Secretary Pankaj Gupta in connection with a money laundering case involving a former Punjab AAP leader.
A senior Enforcement Directorate official said, “Gupta has been asked to join the probe next week.”
Khaira is under investigation in a money laundering case.
India’s premier financial investigation agency – the Enforcement Directorate – has also taken cognizance of two separate cases related to drug trafficking and fake passports registered against Khaira.
The ED has alleged that Khaira is an ‘accomplice’ of drug case convicts and fake passport racketeer.
The 56-year-old politician has denied any wrongdoing and said he is being targeted by central agencies as he has been vocal against the Centre’s agricultural laws.
The case against him pertains to the investigation into the 2015 Fazilka (Punjab) drug-smuggling case in which 1,800 grams of heroin, 24 gold biscuits, two arms, 26 live cartridges and two Pakistani SIM cards were seized by security agencies. International drug traffickers.
Khaira was earlier in the AAP and it is alleged that around US$ 1,00,000 was donated by him on behalf of AAP in the United States of America.
In March this year, the Enforcement Directorate had raided the premises of Khaira and some others in connection with the money laundering case. The raids were conducted at Khaira’s residence in Chandigarh, five other places in Haryana and Punjab and two places in Delhi.
Khaira is an MLA of Punjab Ekta Party, which he founded in 2019. He is the MLA from Bholath in Kapurthala district.
He was elected to the state assembly in 2017 on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket.
In March, ED assistant director Raja Ram Meena had also summoned Khaira and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Khaira’s personal assistant Manish Kumar and his son-in-law Indervir Singh Johal were also summoned to appear before the ED on March 16.
IANS