Money laundering probe: Punjab former forest minister SS Dharamsot arrested by Probe agency

Haryana: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a Congress leader and former Punjab forest minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Dharamsot, aged 64, was taken into custody in Jalandhar under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The arrest is linked to an ongoing investigation into an alleged forest scam in the state. The ED had conducted raids in November last year at the premises of Dharamsot, another state forest minister Sangat Singh Giljian, as well as some forest department officials and other individuals, the report said.

Dharamsot, a five-time MLA, faced a previous arrest by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau last year in a case linked to the alleged possession of disproportionate assets, it said. The investigation revolves around allegations of bribery within the state forest department, particularly concerning the issuance of permits for tree felling and matters related to transfer or posting within the department.

The ED’s action is a part of the wider probe into financial irregularities and corrupt practices in the forest department.Representing the Nabha assembly seat, Dharamsot, and Giljian, an MLA from the Urmar seat in Hoshiarpur district, have both been subjects of scrutiny in recent times, it added further.

The money laundering case, initiated under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, originated from an FIR filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau. Last year, he was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in a case related to the alleged possession of disproportionate assets. His political career has seen representation from the Nabha assembly seat.

As the former forest minister faces legal proceedings, the ED’s actions underscore the concerted efforts to address corruption and financial misconduct within the state administration, specifically in matters impacting the environmental sector. The FIR addressed purported irregularities in the forest department and allegations of ministers and officers receiving bribes for various activities, including the issuance of permits for felling Khair trees, transfer/posting within the department, issuance of NOC from the department, and the purchase of tree guards.