ED officer transferred after summons to Capt Amarinder Singh, his son in FEMA case

PTC Web Desk:  Days after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to former Punjab Chief Minister Captain 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 agency posted in Punjab has been transferred.

Additional Director Ravi Tewari, who was heading the ED’s operations in the region, has been shifted to Chennai. He has been replaced by Additional Director Dinesh Pachauri.

Tewari, a 2009-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, had taken charge in Jalandhar in September 2023. His transfer comes shortly after the central agency served notices to Captain Amarinder Singh and Raninder Singh, prompting political discussions in the state. Observers view the timing of the transfer as significant.

Captain and Raninder skip appearance

The ED had asked Raninder Singh to appear on Thursday and Amarinder Singh on Friday. However, both failed to attend the proceedings. Sources indicated that the former Chief Minister is currently admitted to a hospital in Mohali for knee surgery, leading to their non-appearance.

According to officials, the summons are reportedly linked to an ongoing probe involving alleged foreign asset disclosures and financial transactions abroad. Raninder Singh had earlier faced ED questioning in November 2020.

The investigation against Raninder is understood to stem from findings by the Income Tax Department concerning overseas assets that were allegedly not declared. ED sources suggested that the recent notice issued to Amarinder Singh is connected to the same matter.

The development has triggered political reactions in Punjab. Captain Amarinder Singh, who is currently a member of the BJP National Executive Committee, had recently made public statements supporting a possible alliance between the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). He had also hinted at internal discomfort within his party.

Following the ED action, senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel remarked that if Captain Amarinder wished to return to the Congress, the party leadership could consider the possibility.

Punjab Congress leader Pargat Singh criticised the move, alleging that central agencies were being used to suppress political voices.

Meanwhile, Raninder Singh responded to the summons through a post on X, stating that the family would fully cooperate with investigating agencies. He expressed confidence in the judicial process and said they believed truth would ultimately prevail.

The Enforcement Directorate has not issued any formal public statement regarding the transfer of the officer or the next course of action in the investigation.