E-Paper
ED raids Punjab excise commissioner, Ferozepur DC in ₹137-cr guava orchard scam
Raids underway at residences of Punjab excise commissioner Varun Roojam and Ferozepur DC Rajesh Dhiman; ED took cognizance of May 2023 Punjab Vigilance Bureau FIR pertaining to embezzlement of ₹137 crore released as compensation for guava orchards on land acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday raided 20 locations across Punjab, including the houses of state excise and taxation commissioner Varun Roojam in Chandigarh and deputy commissioner Rajesh Dhiman in Ferozepur, in connection with a money-laundering case linked to the ₹137-crore guava orchard compensation scam.
The ED case was registered after the federal agency took cognisance of a Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) FIR pertaining to embezzlement of ₹137 crore released as compensation for guava orchards on land acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) at Bakarpur village. The VB had registered the case under Sections 409, 420, 465, 466, 468, 471, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13(1) (a), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act in Mohali on May 2, 2023.
Also read: BJP banks on mathematics, not chemistry in Punjab
The name of Jasmine Kaur Dhiman, the wife of Rajesh Dhiman, is listed as a beneficiary who got handsome compensation wrongfully in lieu of the land acquired by GMADA at Bakarpur village.
It was alleged that Varun Roojam had invested in the orchard through his family members on the persuasion of Rajesh Dhiman, the then additional chief administrator (ACA) of GMADA.
Though ED officials were tightlipped, a senior directorate official confirmed that incriminating documents were found dumped in a garbage bin near Roojam’s house in Sector 20, Chandigarh, while the raids were on.
“We had sought records pertaining to the scam from GMADA as the Sections invoked under the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act are scheduled offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act,” an ED official said.
“The accused colluded with officials of the state horticulture and land revenue departments, wrongfully obtaining compensation for guava orchards from the government for which they were not entitled. There are more than 100 beneficiaries who were wrongfully compensated from 2016-20,” an official said.
According to the VB FIR, Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Bakarpur and a property dealer, in connivance with officials/employees of GMADA, revenue and horticulture departments, along with his colleagues Mukesh Jindal and Vikas Bhandari started planting guava orchards on the agriculture land by getting land on general power of attorney.
The accused prepared fake revenue documents, the VB probe found.
Main accused Bhupinder Singh had taken a compensation of ₹23.79 crore for guava plantations for himself and his family, while Dhiman’s wife was paid a compensation of ₹1.17 crore. Mukesh Jindal of Bathinda took a compensation of ₹13.93 crore, while Patiala-based chartered accountant Anil Arora was paid ₹1.14 crore as compensation.
The VB arrested horticulture development officer Jaspreet Singh Sidhu, who was then posted at Kharar and Dera Bassi, in January this year.
In September last year, the Punjab and Haryana high court had ordered the accused beneficiaries to deposit a total of ₹72.36 crore of which ₹43.72 crore has been was given till January 30 this year.
