E-Paper
Bhola drug case: 2 revenue dept officials among three booked for selling attached properties
Those booked include booked Harmesh Kumar Gaba, accused in the Bhola drug case, Phagwara tehsildar Pardeep Kumar Chabbra and a patwari
Kapurthala police on Tuesday booked Harmesh Kumar Gaba, accused in the Bhola drug case, Phagwara tehsildar Pardeep Kumar Chabbra and a patwari under the charges of cheating and criminal conspiracy for allegedly selling around 14 kanals of land attached under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) zonal office, Jalandhar, had filed a complaint with Kapurthala senior superintendent of police in October last year against Gaba, brother of Goraya businessman Chunni Lal Gabba, also facing money laundering charges in the Bhola drug case.
The ED said the directorate of enforcement issued provisional attachment orders for properties of Harmesh Gaba in 2015. Subsequently, the confirmation of provisional attachment of properties was ordered by adjudicating authority (PMLA) in 2016. Following this, the ED served the eviction notice to the accused, including Harmesh Gaba, and concerned agencies, including Phagwara sub-registrar, in 2016.
The ED said it came to light that Gaba sold properties, including 14 kanal land situated in Hadiabad area of Phagwara, attached by the adjudicating authority (PMLA).
It was ordered that the provisionally attached property will not be removed, parted with or otherwise dealt with without prior permission of this directorate. Harmesh Gaba had filed an appeal in appellate tribunal against the order of adjudicating authority PMLA in 2020.
“The sale of attached properties during pendency of appeal filed by accused himself shows utter abuse of process of law and degree of mens rea is evident from conduct,” the ED said.
“Despite the issuance of provisional attachment order and eviction notice to sub registrar, Phagwara, the authorised officer in connivance with Harmesh Gaba, knowingly allowed the sale of properties, which is subject matter before the appellate tribunal and the special PMLA court and the Government of India,” the ED said.
A probe conducted by police found that Harmesh sold around 14 kanals of land to eight persons on different dates. According to the Phagwara SDM report, negligence was found on tehsilder Parveen Chabbra and the area Patwari.
The case was registered under Section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC at the Phagwara police station.
The ED chargesheeted nine members of the Gaba family, associated with his 11 firms, in connection with the Bhola drug case for alleged violation of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Besides Gaba, his three sons — Gurjit, Gurmesh and Mahesh — father Suresh Kumar, brother Harmesh Gaba, 23-year-old grandson Khushwant Gaba, Gurjit’s wife Rekha and Harmesh’s wife Sudesh Rani were booked. The ED’s chargesheet had listed 11 firms, jointly owned by the Gaba family, and their properties at Phillaur, Goraya and Una (Himachal Pradesh).
The ED had registered the money laundering case after former Punjab Police DSP and drug lord Jagdish Singh Bhola had in January 2014 accused Gaba of trading in synthetic drug pseudoephedrine in association with Delhi-based smuggler Varinder Raja.
