On Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated searches at numerous sites across Punjab in connection with a money laundering case related to narcotics, with Jagdish Singh alias Bhola as the primary suspect, according to official sources.
The ED is currently conducting searches at 13 locations in the Rupnagar district. These actions were prompted by the discovery that "illegal" mining operations were being carried out on land previously seized by the ED in connection with the Bhola case, as per the sources.
Some of the accused in this alleged illegal mining case include Nasibchand and Shree Ram crushers, the sources said. About Rs 3 crore cash has been seized till now during the searches, they said. The drugs money laundering case pertains to a multi-crore synthetic narcotics racket that was unearthed during 2013-14 in Punjab. The ED case was booked on the basis of FIRs filed by Punjab Police.
The case, often referred to as the Bhola drug case, centers around Jagdish Singh, also known as Bhola, who is purportedly the central figure in the alleged drug trade. A former wrestler turned policeman turned accused "drug mafia," Bhola was apprehended by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January 2014.
Presently, the case is undergoing trial in a special court established under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Punjab