The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted a raid at the residence of a close aide of Punjab Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak.

The ED sleuths searched the residence of Vijay Kataruchak, which is adjacent to the minister’s house in Kataruchak village on the Gurdaspur-Pathankot highway.

Vijay is an ex-Congressman and had joined the AAP ranks soon after Lal Chand Kataruchak had become a minister.

There are nearly 125 stone-crushing units in the district. Interestingly, a majority of the owners have left the city and switched off their phones. Those who are still in the town have ceased operations.

Sources said the ED was specifically looking into the case pertaining to the wrongful transfer of nearly 90 acres of mineral-rich land in Pathankot district. The minister allegedly facilitated the deal in February 2023.

The panchayat land of Gol village of the Narot Jaimal Singh block is said to be worth hundreds of crores. ADC Kuldeep Singh, who also held the additional charge of DDPO, illegally transferred it in the name of some private individuals. He had signed the controversial file just a day before his retirement. The Vigilance Bureau had booked him and seven others.

The ED officials are continuing their searches on the residences of two prominent businessmen. Important documents and other incriminating papers have been seized by central agency. The police have been kept out of the loop fearing that “vital information could be leaked”. The CRPF personnel have been roped in for security purposes.