Kin of Channi, Stalin, Mamata: In poll season, how central agencies get active

On February 4, just 16 days ahead of Assembly elections in Punjab, the ED arrested Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh in a case of alleged illegal mining in the state. Incidentally, the ED case is based on an FIR registered in 2018.

In November last year, the ED arrested Congress leader and former Punjab MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira in a 2015 drug smuggling case. In September, it had also summoned AAP national secretary Pankaj Gupta in connection with the case.

On January 3 this year, just over a month ahead of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Income Tax Department conducted searches at over 30 premises linked to Samajwadi Party legislator and businessman Pushpraj alias Pampi Jain on allegations of tax evasion.

In April last year, days before Tamil Nadu polls, Income Tax searched premises of DMK chief M K Stalin’s daughter Senthamarai in Chennai, provoking the DMK to call the raids in pursuit of “political objectives”.

Similarly, in the last week of February last year, ahead of the March 2 elections in West Bengal, the CBI summoned Rujuira Banerjee, wife of Mamata Banerji’s nephew Abhishek Banerji, for questioning in connection with a case of alleged coal pilferage in the state. In the middle of the elections, the NIA arrested Chhatradhar Mahato in a 2009 case while he was campaigning for the ruling TMC.

In the run-up to the Kerala Assembly elections in April last year, the NIA registered an FIR of terror funding in connection with a case of gold smuggling, which had the office of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in its crosshairs. Three months before the polls, it even filed a charge sheet. The ED arrested Vijayan’s former principal secretary in the case. It also arrested the son of CPI(M) Kerala state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan in a separate case of money laundering.

In March 2021, the ED also summoned deputy CEO and CEO of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), in which Vijayan is the chairman, for questioning in connection with a case of forex violations.

In July 2020, as the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan faced trouble with deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot revolting, the ED raided premises associated with Gehlot’s brother Agrasen in connection with its probe into alleged diversion of fertilisers during 2007-09. On July 22 that year, it conducted raids at 13 places in Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat and Delhi in connection with the case. The premises included those associated with Agrasen Gehlot and his company Anupam Krishi. Agrasen was later questioned several times, and the probe continues.

In 2019, Income Tax searched official premises associated with TDP MP Jaydev Galla in a case of alleged tax evasion. This happened a day ahead of the Assembly polls in the state. Only a year ago, the TDP had snapped ties with the BJP and gone out all guns blazing against the Modi government.

In the same year, ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the CBI registered a case in January in connection with illegal sand mining mining in Uttar Pradesh. The FIR said, “The role of then mining ministers concerned during relevant period may be looked into during the course of investigation of the case.” SP leader Akhilesh Yadav and Gayatri Prajapati were in charge of the mining ministry between 2012 and 2016, when the alleged irregularities in mining of minor minerals took place.

Incidentally, the CBI had been handed over the probe by the High Court in 2016.

In 2017, Congress leader D K Shivakumar had arranged the stay of 44 Congress MLAs from Gujarat in a Karnataka resort when senior Congress leader late Ahmed Patel was contesting to secure a Rajya Sabha seat. Following this, Income Tax searches were conducted against him and a charge sheet was filed. This was followed by ED registering a case against Shivakumar in September 2018 and arrested him a year later. Karnataka went to polls in early 2018.

In March 2018, days after being ousted from office following Assembly polls, former Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang was questioned by the NIA in a case of alleged terror funding. The agency had summoned his OSD and two office staff for questioning just before the elections. Zeliang, who heads the Nagaland People’s Front (NPF), ran the previous government in Nagaland in alliance with the BJP. However, just before the elections in February, the BJP entered into an alliance with NPF breakaway Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), led by Neiphiu Rio. Though the NDPP won less seats than the NPF, it formed the government with help from the BJP.