CHANDIGARH, Mar 27: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday performed searches in a number of cities of Punjab as a part of a cash laundering investigation linked to an alleged Rs 137-crore guava orchards compensation rip-off, official sources mentioned.
Premises in Chandigarh, Mohali, Patiala, Ferozepur and Bathinda had been raided by the federal probe company beneath the provisions of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources mentioned.
Numerous information media platforms additionally broadcast visuals of searches being carried out on the residences of senior officers like Punjab Excise Commissioner Varun Roojam and Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman.
Nonetheless, there was no official affirmation if these officers had been being searched by the ED within the mentioned case.
The cash laundering case stems from a Punjab Vigilance Bureau FIR pertaining to alleged embezzlement of almost Rs 137 crore launched as compensation for guava orchards on land acquired by the Larger Mohali Space Growth Authority (GMADA).
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau had arrested about 20 individuals, together with some horticulture division officers, on this case, the sources mentioned.
The GMADA had in 2016 printed notices in Mohali for acquisition of land of varied villages and later additionally issued notifications on this regard.
An alleged accused, recognized as property vendor Bhupinder Singh, “in connivance with” some officers of the GMADA, income and horticulture departments, began planting guava orchards on the mentioned agricultural land by getting land on normal energy of attorneys, as per an previous assertion issued by the vigilance bureau.
Singh together with one other individual recognized as Mukesh Jindal and a few others bought land compensation price crores of rupees by displaying that they owned guava orchards.
The state vigilance bureau had additionally filed a cost sheet in opposition to the accused. (Companies)
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