Late-night dramatic chase, assault on officials: How ED arrested ex-Congress MLA
Former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker, accused of laundering nearly Rs 1,500 crore under a Haryana government housing scheme, was arrested by the ED in a dramatic operation at a five-star hotel in Delhi. The ED's operation on Sunday night, unfolding like a scene from a thriller, was initiated after the central agency received a tip-off.An informer alerted that Chhoker, who had been evading arrest for months despite multiple warrants, was attending a lavish party at the luxury hotel's bar. Chhoker is an accused in the Deen Dayal Awas Yojana housing scheme scam.advertisementActing swiftly on information received around 8.30 pm, Joint Director Navaneet Agrawal of the ED's Gurugram Zone arrived at the location within 30 minutes. Upon confirming Chhoker's presence, an investigating officer was summoned and formally informed Chhoker about the non-bailable warrants issued against him by the Gurugram Special Court.
At this point, the situation escalated. Chhoker and his bodyguard attempted to flee through the hotel's exit, leading to a tense chase. A physical altercation ensued, during which Chhoker allegedly assaulted both ED officers and hotel staff.Despite the chaos and without any immediate backup, Joint Director Agrawal managed to single-handedly subdue and detain Chhoker. Chhoker reportedly made multiple attempts to escape custody, including trying to flee from the transport vehicle, but was unsuccessful.A local police constable was later called to the scene and Chhoker was brought to the ED office for further proceedings.HISTORY OF DECEIT AND EVASIONadvertisementChhoker, a former MLA from Hayana's Samalkha constituency, had been under the central agency's scanner for a large-scale money laundering case. The investigation centres around fraudulent activities connected to a housing project in Gurugram.Chhoker and his associates allegedly collected approximately Rs 363 crore from over 1,500 homebuyers without delivering the promised flats. The funds were reportedly siphoned off through fabricated construction expenses and diverted to other entities for personal enrichment.Despite multiple non-bailable warrants and being declared a proclaimed offender, Chhoker had been evading arrest. His son, Sikandar Singh Chhoker, was arrested by the ED in April 2024 in the case. Another son, Vikas Chhoker, remains at large.Chhoker's arrest carries significant political implications for the Congress in Haryana, particularly due to his ties with senior party leader and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.Analysts view that the incident is likely to raise questions about the party's internal oversight mechanisms and its response to allegations of corruption involving its members.
IN THIS STORY#Haryana#Delhi
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