In a major blow to the Congress just four days ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Haryana Police to arrest Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker if he fails to surrender within 24 hours.
Chhoker is considered a close aide of former Chief Minister and Congress Legislative Party leader Bhupinder Singh. He is seeking re-election from the Samalkha constituency in the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections, slated to be held on October 5.
Chhoker is being probed by the ED probe for money laundering charges and other offences. Despite a non-bailable warrant issued against him, the Congress leader has been evading arrest. Chhoker's son, Sikander Singh, was arrested by the central probe agency in connection with the same case five months ago.
The case was brought to the High Court's attention after a petition was filed by Virender Singh, claiming that Chhoker had filed his nomination papers and was campaigning for re-election, despite being wanted by the authorities. The petitioner alleged that the police had not arrested him despite his social media showing evidence of his participation in the ongoing campaign activities, Business Today reported.
Last week, the High Court issued a notice to the ED and Haryana Police, seeking a response in the matter. On Tuesday, fresh directions were issued for Chhoker's arrest in case he does not surrender.
What Is The ED Case Against Chhoker & His Son?
In 2023, the case against Chhoker and his son was taken over by the ED, after the Gurgaon police filed an FIR alleging their involvement in a real estate fraud through their company. Multiple raids were also conducted at his Samalkha premises.
Their company, Mihira Group, had undertaken a project to construct flats in Gururgram Sector 68, for which they had allegedly collected around Rs 363 crore from 1,500 home buyers. The company was supposed to complete the housing construction project by 2021-22, but it allegedly failed to deliver as committed and allegedly defrauded the flat buyers.
During the raids held in July last year, the ED seized four luxury cars, jewellery worth Rs 14.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh in cash from Chhoker's Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd (now Mahira Infratech Pvt Ltd), and other companies of the Mahira Group.
In a statement issued then, the ED claimed that the entity (Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd.) siphoned off money of home buyers by booking fake construction expenditures. The agency also alleged that cash equivalent to the fake purchases was received from the entities providing fake bills or invoices by Mahira Group's directors and promoters, which was used for personal profit, Business Today reported.
The agency said that multiple personal and family-linked expenditures were shown as construction and business expenditures in group entities. The home buyers' money was also diverted by the directors to other group entities as loans for personal gains. ED alleged that a sum of Rs 107.5 crore was "siphoned off" from Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd, which included loans to group entities to the extent of Rs 50.50 crore and fake expenses amounting to Rs 57 crore.