AAP leader asks Channi to explain cash seized from nephew

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha on Thursday asked Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to explain huge sums of cash recovered in raids by the ED from premises linked to his relative.

Chadha, who is AAP’s Punjab co-in-charge, alleged that Channi’s nephew had amassed “crores” of rupees and other assets in the past 3-4 months.

The ED on Wednesday seized cash amounting to over Rs 10 crore, including about Rs 8 crore from a relative of Channi, during raids conducted in connection with an anti-money laundering investigation against illegal sand-mining operations in Punjab.

In a statement, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had said “incriminating” documents related to “illegal” sand mining and property transactions, mobile phones, gold worth more than Rs 21 lakh, and a Rolex watch worth Rs 12 lakh were also seized during the searches that ended on Wednesday.

“From where did this money come,” Chadha asked. “It is said that Channi’s nephew did not have this much money four months back,” he said.

“Only in 111 days (Channi’s tenure as CM before the model code of conduct came into force) if one nephew amassed Rs 10 crore then you can imagine how much wealth was made by the rest of the relatives. And think how much money Channi would have received,” alleged Chadha. “And imagine how much he would have earned if he had remained the chief minister for five years. —PTI