The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended Surender Panwar, a Congress legislator from Sonipat, Haryana, in connection with an ongoing investigation into illegal mining activities.
Authorities arrested Panwar in Gurugram following a series of raids conducted earlier this year.
The ED’s crackdown on illegal mining led to raids at Panwar’s residences and office in January.
These raids were part of a broader operation targeting illegal mining operations in Haryana.
During the same period, the ED also conducted searches related to former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislator Dilbag Singh. In these raids, authorities recovered Rs 5 crore in cash, foreign-made firearms, and 300 cartridges.
The operation extended to approximately 20 locations connected to Panwar, Singh, and their associates.
These locations spanned several cities, including Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh, and Karnal.
The raids reflect a significant effort by the ED to dismantle illegal mining networks in the region.
In the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections, Surender Panwar emerged victorious from Sonipat, defeating BJP’s Kavita Jain with a substantial margin of over 32,000 votes.
Conversely, Dilbag Singh from the INLD lost to BJP’s Ghanshyam Dass in Yamunanagar by a narrow margin of just over 1,400 votes.
Both Panwar and Singh are known to be involved in the mining industry, which has drawn scrutiny amid ongoing investigations into illegal mining practices in the state.
The ED’s actions underscore a commitment to tackling illegal mining and associated activities, highlighting the broader impact of corruption and illicit operations within the political and business spheres.
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