ED Arrests Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar In Illegal Mining Case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Haryana Congress MLA Surender Panwar and his son Lalit in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to illegal mining activities in Yamunanagar district in the state.

Sources told News18 that the probe agency took over the investigation last year after the Haryana Police registered multiple FIRs against Panwar and others regarding illegal mining operations.

Earlier in January, authorities raided 20 locations associated with Panwar, former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) legislator Dilbag Singh, and related entities across Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh, and Karnal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). During these raids, Singh and his associate Kulwinder Singh were arrested.

The case involves large-scale illegal mining of sand, boulders, and gravel in Yamunanagar and neighbouring districts of Haryana, allegedly implicating Singh and Panwar along with their associates.

Panwar, an MLA from Sonipat, and Singh, a former MLA from Yamunanagar, are both involved in the mining business.

The ED’s investigation was initiated following multiple FIRs filed by the Haryana Police and directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

During the probe, the ED uncovered illegal excavation and sale of minerals by various screening plant owners and stone crushers in Yamunanagar. The investigation revealed evasion tactics, including failure to generate proper e-Rawana bills and producing fake physical copies to avoid detection.

The federal agency also seized Rs 5.29 crore in cash, gold valued at Rs 1.89 crore, two vehicles, electronic devices, investment-related documents (both domestic and foreign), and other incriminating materials.