The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized property worth Rs 4.58 crore of former Punjab Congress minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot and his son. ED has taken this action under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
It is important to note that ED is currently investigating Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, who was a cabinet minister in the Congress government, on money laundering charges. He is also one of the accused in the forest scam during Congress regime from 2017-2022 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
During investigation conducted by the ED, it was found that Dharamsot acquired disproportionate assets through the proceeds of crime relating to the scheduled offences to the tune of ₹6.34 crore.
Dharamsot was the first former minister to be arrested by the VB during the tenure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for allegedly taking kickbacks to issue permits to cut trees, transfer officials, make purchases and issue no-objection certificates, on June 7, 2022. He had been in jail till September 6, 2022 before securing bail.
Dharamsot's arrest came months after ED sleuths carried out raids at his residence in Almoh. In November 2023, ED sleuths carried out raids at the houses of some contractors of the Forest Department and their close relatives including the former Punjab Forest Minister Dharmsot.