Harpal Cheema Releases ED Panchnama from Minister's Relative Raid

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-09-24 18:01:00

Escalating the political confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the central government over ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) actions across Punjab, State Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has made public the official search panchnama executed at the Sahnewal residence of Gurpreet Singh Saini, alias Prince, a relative of Punjab Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian. Taking to social media platform X, Cheema launched a direct assault on the federal agency, asserting that central probe institutions are functioning as instruments of political coercion and intimidation rather than objective law enforcement. Emphasizing that unverified accusations do not constitute legal evidence, Cheema maintained that an authentic investigation must be anchored in verified facts, concluding with a stern warning tagged to the BJP that the people of Punjab will not be cowed down, silenced, or pressured by administrative raids.

What the Panchnama Reveals: Section 17 PMLA Order, CRPF Security, and Independent Witnesses

The official search document released by Cheema details the exact chronology of the federal operation conducted on September 23, 2026. The inspection team arrived at the Sahnewal premises at 2:50 PM, executing Search Authorization No. 47 of 2026 issued by Enforcement Directorate Deputy Director Rachna Chhokar under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The on-ground team was spearheaded by Assistant Director Prashant Jaddali alongside Enforcement Officer Shellypreet Singh Kang, Assistant Enforcement Officer Naman Singh, and Rishabh Garg, flanked by armed male personnel drawn from the 102 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). In accordance with statutory procedural mandates, two independent commercial bank employees—identified as Pritika Thakur and Bharat Raj—were documented as official panch witnesses to record the proceedings.

Front-Door Sequence: Mother Receives Search Notice as Phone Contacts Drop

According to the filed panchnama record, Gurpreet Singh’s mother, Manjit Kaur, received the search team at the front door and informed officials that she was inside the house with immediate family members and a newborn child, while Gurpreet and his wife, Tajinder Kaur, were away at work. After being presented with the formal search authorization warrant, Manjit Kaur facilitated a direct phone call to Gurpreet Singh in the presence of investigators, who acknowledged the communication and stated he would return home within an hour and a half. While his wife arrived at the residence shortly thereafter around 3:30 PM, subsequent attempts by family members to re-establish telephone contact with Gurpreet were unsuccessful as his mobile device was switched off. While the panchnama serves as a strict evidentiary ledger detailing procedural entry, notices served, and individuals present during the raid, legal observers note that the memorandum simply documents on-site operational conduct rather than establishing definitive findings of unlawful assets or financial criminality.

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