Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhokar, facing a money laundering case, to surrender by Wednesday. The court has said that in case of not doing so, he should be arrested. The court made this comment during the hearing of a petition filed by a social worker from Panipat. The petition said that the agencies are not taking action against Dharam Singh Chhokar. Despite a non-bailable warrant being issued against him, he was campaigning in his constituency ahead of the Haryana Assembly elections. Dharam Singh Chhokar is contesting again from Samalkha seat of Panipat in the assembly elections to be held on October 5.
A bench headed by Justice Sureshwar Thakur on Tuesday orally said that Dharam Singh Chhokar should either surrender or be arrested by Wednesday. He is facing a case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges of money laundering and other crimes. According to the petition, several FIRs have been registered against him and the ED is also investigating him. The petition claims that Gurugram Court had issued non-bailable warrants against him in a case. Dharam Chhokar had approached the High Court against this but did not get any relief.
Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan told the media, “A petition was filed in the court. The petitioner said that the Congress candidate is facing several cases and Enforcement Directorate action is also going on against him. “Bailable warrants have also been issued but he is openly campaigning and no action is being taken against him. The court directed that he surrender by Wednesday.”
On July 25 last year, the ED had raided several locations linked to Dharam Singh Chhokar and his son as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged real estate fraud. ED had registered a case against Chhokar in 2021.