Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker Ordered to Surrender or Face Arrest

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker to surrender within 24 hours, or the ED and police will arrest him. Chhoker is involved in a money laundering case and has numerous criminal charges. His bail plea was rejected as he contests the upcoming elections.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday instructed the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and police to arrest Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker if he does not surrender within 24 hours. Chhoker faces a money laundering case registered by the ED in 2023.

Identified as a close aide of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chhoker is pursuing re-election from the Samalkha constituency in the state assembly elections. Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan stated that a petition was filed in the High Court on Tuesday seeking action against Chhoker.

"Dharam Singh Chhoker, the sitting MLA from Samalkha, is contesting elections again with several criminal cases against him. Non-bailable warrants have been issued, and ED actions are pending. His anticipatory bail petition has been rejected, yet no action has been taken while he openly contests elections," Mahajan told ANI. "Therefore, the court has ordered him to surrender or else be arrested by the police," he added.

He further noted that the court emphasized Chhoker's bail rejection and the need for action, leading to the order for Chhoker to surrender or face arrest by tomorrow. Voting for all 90 Assembly constituencies in Haryana is scheduled for October 5 from 7 am to 6 pm.

In 2023, the ED investigated Chhoker and his son, Sikandar Singh Chhoker, following an FIR by Gurugram police alleging real estate fraud involving both. Sikandar was arrested by the ED in March 2024 for allegedly siphoning hundreds of crores of rupees and defrauding home buyers by booking fake construction expenditures in group entities.

(With inputs from agencies.)