Charges filed against ex-Punjab minister for money laundering

A special court in Mohali has framed charges against former forest minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in a money laundering case. The ruling was made by Judge Ajit Atri, stating that there is enough evidence to proceed with the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Dharamsot, who is a Congress leader, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 15, 2024. The ED claims that he misused his position from 2017 to 2022 to divert large sums of money and take bribes. During his time as forest minister, he allegedly granted permits for tree cutting, transferred officials, and issued no-objection certificates for various businesses. The ED's investigation suggests that Dharamsot received bribes ranging from ₹2 lakh to ₹1 crore for different transactions. The special public prosecutor stated that Dharamsot generated property worth ₹6.83 crore through these illegal activities. Dharamsot was previously jailed until September 2022, before securing bail. He was arrested again in February 2023 for accumulating assets beyond his known income. Despite being out on bail for some cases, he has remained in Nabha jail after the ED's recent arrest in the money laundering case.