Amarinder Singh's son Raninder fails to appear before ED in Punjab for second time

CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's son Raninder today yet again failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Punjab in connection with its probe against him for alleged forex contraventions and holding of untaxed foreign assets.

Official sources said Raninder has informed the Investigating Officer (IO) in the case that he is busy with the preparations of Rio Olympics and, therefore he could not appear before the ED's zonal office in Jalandhar.

Raninder is the President of the National Rifle Association of India ( NRAI) and an Indian squad is participating in the forthcoming Olympic games.

The sources said that the agency is considering asking him to appear before it on a fresh date.

Todays' summons was the second to him after he had sought exemption from personal appearance last month, citing health reasons.

Raninder has been summoned by the agency to explain the alleged movement of funds to Switzerland and creation of a trust and a few subsidiaries in the tax haven of British Virgin Islands.

The alleged violations had earlier been investigated by the Income Tax department and a case in this regard was being heard in a court in Punjab. The next hearing in the case is slated for July 26.

Raninder had earlier said he did not have anything to hide and was willing to cooperate with the probe.

The case came to light when the Income Tax department received information about Raninder allegedly holding the offshore account in the alpine nation as part of details received by the Central Board of Direct Taxes from its French counterparts in 2011.

The sources said ED investigators have gathered necessary documents from a competent court in Punjab and RBI, and they suspect "contravention of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA)" by the accused.

Both Raninder and his father Amarinder, a Congress MP, have denied any wrongdoing and termed as "false" the charges.