Published 21:51 IST, October 23rd 2020
Punjab CM's son Raninder Singh summoned by ED in disproportionate assets case on Oct 27
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh's son Raninder Singh was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged disproportionate assets case.
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On Thursday, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh's son Raninder Singh was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged disproportionate assets case. He has been asked to appear before the agency in Jalandhar on October 27 for purported violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act. Singh had unsuccessfully contested the 2009 Lok Sabha polls and the 2012 Punjab Assembly election on a Congress ticket.
Earlier, the ED officials had sought to inspect the Income Tax files in three cases against him through an application on September 14, 2020. While the inspection was initially permitted, it was stopped subsequently after Raninder filed a revised plea arguing that ED had no locus standi. In his previous appearance before the ED on July 21, 2016, Raninder was reportedly asked to explain the creation of Jacaranda Trust and a few subsidiaries in the British Virgin Islands and the alleged movement of funds to Switzerland.
Enforcement Directorate summons Raninder Singh (file photo), son of Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh, for violation of Foreign Exchange Mgmt Act (FEMA) in connection with an alleged disproportionate assets case. ED asks him to appear before them on October 27, in Jalandhar: Sources pic.twitter.com/5UpuznC4No
— ANI (@ANI) October 23, 2020
Punjab CM's anti-farm laws stance
Incidentally, the summons to Raninder comes at a time when his father has led the opposition from the states against the three farm laws passed by Parliament. In a special session of the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, all the legislators unanimously cleared three bills to negate the impact of the farm laws passed by the Parliament, The Farmers Produce Trade & Commerce Promotion & Facilitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 ensures that wheat or paddy cannot be purchased except for a price equal to or greater than the Minimum Support Price. Anyone buying below the MSP shall be imprisoned for three years.
The second bill- The Essential Commodities (Special Provision & Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 seeks to protect consumers from hoarding and black marketing of agriculture produce. On the other hand, The Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance & Farm Services(Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2020 provides that no sale or purchase of wheat and paddy under a farming agreement shall take place below the MSP. Besides this, another bill was cleared to ensure that the land of farmers up to 2.5 acres cannot be attached in any recovery proceedings.
Except for BJP MLAs who were absent from the House, the Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Centre's farm laws and the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Demanding their immediate annulment, the resolution called upon the Union government to pass an ordinance to protect the MSP and guarantee government procurement. Thereafter, the SAD, Congress and AAP MLAs led by Punjab CM Amarinder Singh met Governor VPS Badnore, requesting him to give assent to the bills.
21:51 IST, October 23rd 2020