Today, a court granted  extended the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody of former Jammu and Kashmir Minister Lal Singh by five more days. in connection with a money laundering case.

On November 7, Lal Singh, who serves as the chairman of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party (DSSP), was arrested from a residence in the Chawadi area of Sainik Colony. This action followed the rejection of his anticipatory bail application by a special court.

He was under investigation by the ED in connection with a case against an educational trust run by his wife and former legislator Kanta Andotra.

On the completion of his seven-day remand, Lal Singh was presented before the special court on Tuesday via video conference, as stated by Special Public Prosecutor Ashwani Khajuria.

“The investigation of the case is at an initial stage... accused is involved in a serious and non-bailable offence, he is remanded to ED custody for a period of five days only from November 14 to 18,” Khajuria said, quoting the court order.

The court instructed the Enforcement Directorate to present the accused through virtual mode on November 18 and urged the investigating officer to accelerate the ongoing investigation.

Ashwani Khajuria mentioned that the Enforcement Directorate has submitted a comprehensive report to the court of the principal sessions judge in Jammu regarding a post-arrest bail plea filed by the accused.

The money laundering case originated from a charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in October 2021. The charge sheet accused criminal collusion in the allocation of land between January 4 and January 7, 2011. The charge sheet specifically highlighted the absence of details regarding the violation of the ceiling limit of 100 standard kanals, as mandated by Section 14 of the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act, 1976. 

Based on this, the trust acquired multiple pieces of land of about 329 kanals vide three gift deeds executed on January 5 and January 7, 2011, the CBI charge sheet claimed.