The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday questioned former Punjab Chief Minister in connection with an illegal sand mining case.

On Twitter, the Congress leader said that he cooperated with the central agency and responded to the questions to the best of his ability. The Enforcement Directorate summons came after Channi’s nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey was arrested on February 3, weeks before the Punjab Assembly elections on February 20.

The case is based on a first information report filed by the Punjab Police on March 7, 2018, alleging that illegal sand mining activities were being carried out in six quarries in the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.

On March 31, the Enforcement Directorate had filed a chargesheet against Honey, and an associate named Kudrat Deep Singh. Honey admitted on February 6 that he received Rs 10 crore in cash to facilitate illegal sand mining operations and manipulate the transfer and posting of officials in the state, the Enforcement Directorate had said.

Singh owns a quarry in Nawanshahr town of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar. Honey is reportedly a director at one of the companies formed by Singh.

The agency had also seized over Rs 10 crore during the raid at premises belonging to Honey, as well as gold worth Rs 21 lakh, and a Rolex watch that is valued at around Rs 12 lakh.

According to the FIR, a total of 26 people have been booked in the case. In 2018, the police had found 30 trucks carrying sand from areas where mining was illegal.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday said that he is fighting for Punjab. “Those who ran the land, sand and liquor mafia let down Punjab for selfish vested interests by looting the exchequer,” he said after Channi appeared before the central agency for questioning. “It is either Punjab or the Mafia in the present financial scenario! The fight continues…”