Minutes before he filed his nomination papers as a Congress candidate for the prestigious Udhamur-Doda Lok Sabha seat, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) moved the High Court for cancellation of bail of former Minister Choudhary Lal Singh.
The ED has moved the High Court, seeking cancellation of the bail of Lal Singh. However, the ED plea is yet to be taken up by the High Court. The ED has booked Lal Singh in a money laundering case, while the CBI had earlier registered a case against him in a land case pertaining to RB Educational Trust at Kathua.
Lal Singh is on bail from November 24, 2023
Arrested in a money laundering case, two-time Lok Sabha member Choudhary Lal Singh has been on bail since November 24.
Choudhary Lal Singh is accused by the the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case registered against an educational trust being run by his wife and former MLA Kanta Andotra. On November 18, 2023, Lal Singh was sent to judicial remand to Jammu district jail at Ambphalla by an anti-corruption court in the case against RB educational trust.
Principal sessions judge Justice Sanjay Parihar granted interim bail to Singh on November 24 with certain conditions.
"The court observed that the accused has to fulfill certain conditions, like furnishing a surety and personal bonds of Rs 2 lakh each before the court.
Lal Singh was asked to surrender his passport before the ED. The court directed him to remain present before the ED as and when called in connection and render all possible help to the ED in its investigations.
A court had granted interim anticipatory bail to Lal Singhh's wife, Kanta Andotra and their daughter, Kranti Singh, directing them to cooperate with the ED.
Singh, his wife, and his daughter had filed separate applications in court seeking pre-arrest bail for the alleged commission of offenses under PMLA, a non-bailable offense.
Lal Singh files nomination papers on last day
Meanwhile, on the last day of filing nomination papers, Choudhary Lal Singh filed his nomination as a Congress candidate for the prestigious Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat. Accompanied by hundreds of his followers, Lal Singh, filed his papers at the DEO in Kathua for the Congress party on Wednesday.
A big rally was started in the Kalibari area of Kathua and culminated in the historic Ram Lila Maidan, where the rally was turned into a public meeting that was addressed by senior Congress leaders. Addressing the rally, Choudhary Lal Singh said that he was fighting the election to restore the dignity and honour of the people of Jammu.
Lal Singh invoked greater Dogra warrior General Zorawar Singh to seek the support of the people to restore Dogra's identity. He is fighting against Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh of the BJP, who is seeking re-election from the Udhampur-Doda constituency for the third consecutive term.
Lal Singh rejoined Congress on March 20
Chairman of the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Choudhary Lal Singh on March 20 rejoined the Congress Party in New Delhi.
He emerged his party Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan with the Congress party. After floating his own political party, the Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan, before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Lal Singh was in touch with the Congress leadership.
During the Bharat Jodo Yatra in January 2023, Choudhary Lal Singh welcomed Rahul Gandhi at Lakhanpur, the gate of the J&K.
Although he was not allowed to share the stage with Rahul Gandhi due to opposition by the National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, Singh was in constant touch with the Congress leadership.
The local unit of Congress, especially Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Vikar Rasool Wani worked assiduously to ensure the Gharwapsi of Lal Singh. Choudhary Lal Singh is a two-time Lok Sabha member from this parliamentary constituency. In the 2004 parliamentary elections, Choudhary Lal Singh defeated veteran BJP leader and then Union Minister Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta in this seat, which was a stronghold of the Saffron Party.
