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Chandigarh: Days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his son Raninder Singh in connection with an alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the senior-most officer of the central agency posted in Punjab has been transferred.
Additional Director Ravi Tewari, who was heading the ED’s Jalandhar zone, has been shifted to Chennai. Additional Director Dinesh Pachauri has replaced him. The timing of the transfer — coinciding with the issuance of summons to the veteran BJP leader — has triggered political speculation in state circles.
Raninder Singh had been asked to appear before the agency on Thursday, while Capt Amarinder was summoned for Friday. However, neither appeared, as the former Chief Minister is currently admitted to a hospital in Mohali for knee surgery. Sources indicate that the family has said it cannot attend for medical reasons.
Ravi Tewari, a 2009-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, had taken charge in Jalandhar in September 2023. His transfer, coming immediately after the high-profile summons, is being viewed by some observers as linked to the action, though no official statement has connected the two developments.
Political Undercurrents
The ED’s move had taken political circles by surprise. Capt Amarinder, who is presently a member of the BJP National Executive Committee, has largely remained politically inactive in recent months. However, he recently resurfaced in media interviews, expressing support for a possible alliance between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He had also subtly indicated unease within sections of the party.
In the wake of the ED summons, political reactions followed swiftly. Congress general secretary and Punjab affairs in-charge Bhupesh Baghel remarked that if Amarinder wished to return to the Congress fold, the party high command could consider such a move. Former Punjab minister and Congress leader Pargat Singh went a step further, alleging that the action reflected the saffron party’s tendency to use central agencies to silence dissenting voices. The BJP has not officially responded to these allegations.
Case History
Raninder Singh has been under the ED scanner for several years. He was first summoned in July 2016 and questioned over the alleged movement of funds to Switzerland and the creation of the Jacaranda Trust. He again appeared before the agency in November 2020. The probe reportedly stemmed from findings by the Income Tax Department regarding certain foreign assets allegedly acquired but not disclosed. ED sources indicate that the recent summons to Capt Amarinder is also linked to this ongoing investigation.
Following the latest development, Raninder Singh posted on X, stating: “As law-abiding citizens, we will cooperate fully with every investigation agency. We have absolute faith in the rule of law and are confident that truth and justice will prevail.”
With the transfer of the senior ED officer adding a fresh dimension to the episode, the matter is likely to remain politically sensitive in Punjab in the days ahead, particularly given the shifting equations between major parties in the state.
