Court Awards 3-Year Rigorous Imprisonment to Dar Singh and Gurdarshan Singh
Chandigarh, September 5: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Chandigarh Zonal Office, has secured the conviction of Dar Singh and Gurdarshan Singh in a money laundering case arising from a drug-trafficking investigation involving 1.230 kg of cocaine.
The conviction, according to the ED, marks another significant step in its efforts to trace, disrupt and dismantle the financial networks supporting illicit drug trafficking.
The Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), SAS Nagar (Mohali), in its judgment dated September 3, 2026, convicted both accused for the offence of money laundering under Section 3 of the PMLA, 2002.
The court sentenced both Dar Singh and Gurdarshan Singh to three years of rigorous imprisonment each and imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on each.
Case Originated from Drug-Trafficking Investigation
The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by Punjab Police in the matter. The two accused had subsequently been convicted in the scheduled offence under Sections 22 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
During its investigation, the ED traced financial transactions allegedly connected with the drug-trafficking activities.
₹10 Lakh in Cheques Linked to Contraband
The investigation revealed two cheques—one for ₹6 lakh and another for ₹4 lakh—totalling ₹10 lakh, which were allegedly connected with dealings relating to the contraband.
The Special Court held that both the contraband and the aforesaid cheques fall within the definition of “property” and constitute “proceeds of crime” under the PMLA, 2002, as they were found to be connected with criminal activity relating to the scheduled offence.
ED Reaffirms Focus on Financial Networks
The conviction reinforces the ED’s stated commitment to targeting the financial infrastructure behind narcotics trafficking, rather than limiting investigations to the drug-related offences alone.
The agency said that action against proceeds generated from criminal activities is aimed at weakening the economic foundations of illicit drug-trafficking networks and disrupting the flow of criminal proceeds.(KNC)
