ED searches 8 locations in Jammu, Kathua, Pathankot in RBET money laundering case

Charges were filed against Kanta Andotra, who served as the Chairperson of RBET, and Ravinder Singh, who was the Patwari of the Patwar Halqa Karandi Khurd & Muthi Hardo in 2011

PGurus Newsdesk

October 17, 2023

Charges were filed against Kanta Andotra, who served as the Chairperson of RBET, and Ravinder Singh, who was the Patwari of the Patwar Halqa Karandi Khurd & Muthi Hardo in 2011

ED conducts searches in PMLA case against educational trust run by J&K’s ex-minister Lal Singh’s wife

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is conducting searches at eight premises spread across Jammu, Kathua, and Pathankot in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act case against RB Educational Trust (RBET), official sources said here on Tuesday.

According to the sources, the raids are based on a case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The CBI filed a charge sheet in this regard on October 28, 2021, which established offences committed under Section 120-B of the RPC and Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Corruption Act, Samvat 2006.

Charges were filed against Kanta Andotra, who served as the Chairperson of RBET, and Ravinder Singh, who was the Patwari of the Patwar Halqa Karandi Khurd & Muthi Hardo in 2011.

The Patwari, in criminal collusion, allegedly issued three fards for more than 329 Kanals of land between January 4 and 07, 2011, without mentioning details regarding the violation of the ceiling limit of 100 standard kanals imposed under Section 14 of the Jammu and Kashmir Agrarian Reforms Act 1976.

This action resulted in an undue pecuniary advantage to the trust.

“Based on these three fards, the trust acquired multiple pieces of land totaling approximately 329 Kanals through three gift deeds executed on January 5, 2011, and January 7, 2011,” said the sources.

The main individuals involved in this case include Ch. Lal Singh, a former Member of Parliament (MP) and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Kanta Andotra, the wife of Ch. Lal Singh, also a former MLA and Chairperson of the trust, and the then Patwari.

During the ED’s investigation, it was discovered that the excess land is actively being used by the trust for running DPS Schools and other commercial activities.

“The locations covered in today’s search include those related to the trust, the Chairperson, the land donors, Power of Attorney (POA) holders representing the land donors, witnesses who executed the deeds, and the former Patwari who wrongfully issued the fards, allowing RBET to carry out the said deeds,” said the sources.

[With Inputs from IANS]

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