Ex-naib tehsildar in ED net for multi-crore land fraud in Mohali

The money-laundering case stems from a chargesheet filed against the former naib tehsildar and others by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested former Majri block naib tehsildar Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot on money laundering charges in a case linked to alleged fraud in the sale of common village land in Mohali’s Seonk village.

The former naib tehsildar was produced before an ED court on Mohali on Friday and remanded to the directorate’s custody for four days. (Getty Images)

Dhoot was taken into custody on Thursday in a case involving revenue officials and others for misallocating shares of shamlat (panchayat) land of Seonk village in Mohali district to the tune of more than 99 acres in the name of ineligible villagers and in some instances, even outsiders, the ED said in a statement on Friday.

The money-laundering case stems from a chargesheet filed against Dhoot and others by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB).

Sources said Dhoot was summoned for questioning at the ED office on Thursday, but he was not cooperating with ED sleuths, following which he was formally arrested.

In November 2020, VB had booked 11 people, including then naib tehsildar Varinderpal Singh Dhoot, kanungo Raghubir Singh, patwari Iqbal Singh, nambardar Gurnam Singh and property dealer Sham Lal and others, for usurping common village land at Seonk village in Mohali’s Majri block. Prime accused Dhoot and Sham Lal were arrested in November last year.

The case dates back to 2017, when Dhoot was posted as the naib tehsildar in Majri. He allegedly in connivance with junior revenue officials and private individuals fraudulently sold off 99 acres of shamlat land in Seonk village, leading to losses to the government exchequer in crores.

According to the VB  FIR, the accused prepared forged land documents and got the village common land registered in the name of people known to them in lieu of high amounts of money. Later, the plots were sold at high rates.

The ED had registered an Enforcement Case Information Report against the accused revenue officials and private persons under the Prevention to Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at its Jalandhar office in March 2021. Dhoot was produced before an ED court on Mohali on Friday and remanded to the directorate’s custody for four days.