Lal Singh managed to acquire land in excess of permissible limits for his wife’s trust: ED

ED arrests Chaudhary Lal Singh for acquiring 328 kanals of land in excess of permissible limit for his wife's NGO. Investigation reveals connivance with revenue official. Interim anticipatory bail granted to wife and daughter. Arrest seen as crackdown on voices opposing BJP in J&K.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan (DSS) chairman Chaudhary Lal Singh managed to acquire land in excess of permissible the limit of 100 standard kanals to the extent of 328 kanals for a non-governmental organisation run by his wife.

Mr. Singh, who served as a Minister, three-time legislator and a Member of Parliament (MP) from Jammu, was arrested by the ED on November 7 in Jammu, sparking street protests from his supporters. 

An ED spokesman said the investigation revealed that Mr. Singh in connivance with the then revenue official posted at Kathua in 2011 “got transferred the land forcibly in the name of the R.B. Educational Trust”. “Part of this land so acquired is being used in running DPS School. As per the investigation, the Trust was found to have acquired land in excess of the permissible limit of 100 standard kanals to the extent of 328 kanals,” the ED said.

Mr. Singh has been arrested under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The ED is also investigating the role of Mr. Singh’s wife Kanta Andotra and Ravinder Singh, the then Patwari, in the case. Meanwhile, Ms. Andotra and daughter Kranti Singh were earlier granted interim anticipatory bail till November 30 by the court in the case.

Mr. Singh emerged as a rare voice from Jammu after 2019, when special status was ended, to oppose BJP’s policies in J&K, especially in Jammu. His party also launched a major public outreach and started galvanising support for the demands like separate statehood for Jammu and special status under Article 371. 

J&K’s parties, including the National Conference, CPI(M) and Peoples Democratic Party, expressed dismay over Mr. Singh’s arrest and termed it as “a crackdown on the voices opposing the BJP” in J&K.