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ED raids two Punjab realty groups over fraudulent CLUs, seizes ₹1 crore
Aman Arora’s name crops up as ED claims a bizman being probed is close aide of minister, state AAP chief alleges political vendetta
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at multiple sites in Punjab and Chandigarh as part of a money laundering probe against two realty groups on charges of fraudulent change of land use and duping investors.
According to people in know of the matter, at least 12 locations in Mohali, Chandigarh and Patiala linked to the Suntec City project (developed by ICHBS or Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society), its promoter Ajay Sehgal, ABS Townships, Altus Space Builders, Dhir Constructions and associates were searched under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Punjab minister and Aam Aadmi Party president Aman Arora’s name figured in the investigation with the federal agency saying that a businessman, Gaurav Dhir of Dhir Constructions, who is being probed, is a “close associate of the AAP leader”. Reacting to the ED action, Arora accused the BJP-led Centre of using federal agencies to intimidate and pressure its political opponents. “The ED raids have exposed the BJP-led Centre’s growing desperation to crush political rivals through fear and vendetta,” Arora in a statement.
Opposition leaders alleged that those being raided are “close to an aide of chief minister Bhagwant Mann,” a charge denied by the CM, who asserted that the central agency’s operation has “nothing to do with us (AAP)”.
The ED, over the last few weeks, has undertaken some major action against politically-linked persons in Punjab, which is slated to go to polls in early 2027. It raided the premises of state industries minister and AAP leader Sanjeev Arora, his son, some others, and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal in separate cases. Mittal, who was with the AAP, defected to BJP along with six other AAP MPs after the ED raids.
Money rain in Kharar
By late evening, the ED said its search teams had seized about ₹1 crore in cash. The raid took a dramatic turn when occupants of a luxury high-rise in Mohali allegedly threw bags stuffed with cash from a ninth-floor window to evade ED officials. ” ₹21 lakh kept in two bags were flung onto the ground from a window of the Western Towers in Kharar area.The search parties recovered the scattered cash, which was in the denomination of ₹500,” said ED officials. The cash-throwing incident occurred when search parties began raids at the premises of two alleged middlemen, Nitin Gohal and Pritpal Singh Dhinda, they added.
According to the ED, the money laundering case against Suntec City and its promoters stems from a November, 2022 FIR filed by the Punjab Police at Mullanpur in Mohali.
It is alleged that Sehgal and Suresh Kumar Bajaj prepared fake consent letters for 30.5 acres of land belonging to 15 landowners. Using these letters, it is alleged, that the accused were granted change of land use (CLU) by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for developing Suntec city, a mega real estate project. The ED said these consent letters were prepared with “forged” signatures and thumbprints of the land owners. The promoters and ICHBS collected more than ₹150 crore by admitting members to the society “without” executing any sale deed, the agency said.
Officials said the GMADA “cancelled” the ICHBS license after victims of its projects filed a petition before the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Officials said besides plots, Sehgal also developed ‘La Canela’ residential multi-storey complex and ‘District 7’ commercial complex based on the said “fake” CLU. All the units in these two projects have been sold and the officials claimed these funds were nothing but proceeds of crime under the PMLA. Investigation is also being undertaken in allegations of irregularities in RERA approval for ‘District 7’ commercial complex, they said.
The case against the second entity, Altus Space Builders and its promoter Mohinder Singh, stems from an FIR registered at the Phase 11 police station in Mohali, said ED officials.
Multiple home buyers alleged that they were duped by deceitfully misrepresenting that the real estate project of Altus had obtained “final” CLU from GMADA while the fact was that it was conditional and was finally cancelled, officials said.
They said a court has issued non-bailable warrant against Mohinder Singh and he has been declared a proclaimed offender. The agency claimed that businessman Gaurav Dhir purchased the Altus project through its entity Suncity Projects for ₹130 crore, by “undervaluing” the project cost.
According to the ED, Gohal, an IT professional, “helped” builders who “defaulted” on paying GMADA fees and arranged “political protection” for them. The agency said “incriminating” documents were recovered from the two individuals which “suggests interference of these private individuals in government functioning in the state of Punjab.”
Opposition targets AAP govt
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the ED raids vindicated his allegations regarding “a large-scale corruption and misuse of power under the AAP government.” “Shocking visuals emerging from the raids, including cash bags being tossed from a multi-storey building, have exposed the AAP. We have never witnessed such scenes in Punjab before. This is the real face of the Aam Aadmi Party which is actually an Arabpati Aadmi Party,” Bajwa said.
Senior Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also posted on X about the two cash bags. “ED raids Mohali high-rise linked to CM Mann’s aide; ₹500 notes fly around after bags thrown from 9th floor. Hawala transactions unearthed. Major expose,” he added.
BJP arm-twisting Oppn: Arora
Denying all charges, Mann while speaking to the media in Amritsar during his ‘Shukrana Yatra’, said, “The ED raid has nothing to do with us. They (ED) have come here in connection with some company. They can undertake checks at any place.”
Arora, on his part, said AAP leaders were not afraid of central agencies or threats orchestrated to arm-twist opposition voices into submission.
“Repeated use of agencies like the ED and Central Bureau of Investigation against opposition leaders has now become a pattern across the country. The BJP targets every leader who refuses to bow before it. AAP leaders are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal who would continue to fight fearlessly for the people despite political pressure and false propaganda,” he said.
