Change of Land Use Scam: ED names AAP Punjab chief Aman Arora, he says won’t bow before ‘BJP’s politics of goondagardi’

The ED, in a statement, said, its teams carried out searches at about a dozen locations in Mohali and Chandigarh 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 under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It also seized about Rs 1 crore in cash, including Rs 21 lakh kept in two bags that were allegedly thrown down from a ninth floor residence in Western Towers, a high-rise residential building in Mohali’s Kharar area.

The ED, in a statement said, the cash was thrown when search parties began raids at the premises of two alleged middlemen, IT professional Nitin Gohal and Pritpal Singh. “Several incriminating documents have been recovered suggesting interference of these private individuals in government functioning in the state of Punjab,” the ED said.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, 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.”

The money laundering case against Suntec City and its promoters stems from a November 2022 FIR

registered by Punjab Police at Mullanpur police station under Sections 120B, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 472 of the IPC.

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.

“These consent letters were prepared with forged signatures and thumb impressions of the landowners for obtaining the CLU,” the ED said, adding that the ICHBS collected over Rs 150 crore by enrolling members in the society without executing sale deeds.

The ED said that 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, thereby generating proceeds of crime,” the agency said, adding that investigations were also underway into alleged irregularities in RERA approvals granted to the District 7 commercial complex.

The ED said that following litigation pursued by victims before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the GMADA cancelled the the ICHBS license.

The case against Altus Space Builders and its promoter Mohinder Singh, stems from an FIR registered at the Phase 11 police station in Mohali under Sections 316, 318(2) and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The agency said that 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.

It said a non bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against Mohinder Singh under the Negotiable Instruments Act and he has been declared a proclaimed offender.

The agency further claimed that a businessman named Gaurav Dhir of Dhir Constructions purchased the Altus project through its entity Suncity Projects for Rs 130 crore, by “undervaluing” the project cost by more than Rs 170 crore. “Dhir is close associate of one of the high-ranking AAP leaders (Aman Arora),” the ED statement said.

Arora, in a statement, said, “It has become evident before the entire country that the BJP uses central agencies as political tools to target opposition leaders. Whenever any leader or party refuses to bow before the BJP, agencies like the ED and CBI are unleashed against them”.

He said recently, properties linked to Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal were raided in an attempt to pressure and arm-twist him into joining the BJP. “Such incidents clearly expose the BJP’s agenda of misusing investigative agencies for political gains,” he added.

The Opposition, meanwhile claimed that Nitin Gohal was linked to Rajbir Ghuman, CM Mann’s Officer on Special Duty. Sharing photographs purportedly showing Gohal with Ghuman, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia, in a post on X, said, “Crores of mney, Rs 500 notes flying in air….‘Kattar Fraudsters’ in ED trap… Hawala transactions unearthed. Major expose would land soon”.

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa posted on X: “A little bird told me that a central agency is conducting raids on close aides of the Punjab CM in Kharar. Whether this leads to real justice or the political ‘washing machine’ swings into action to clear all stains — only time will tell.”

Earlier, SHO Kharar Amrinder Singh Sidhu reached the building where the ED raid was underway since 7 am. He said ED had not shared any information with the police.

A resident of the society, on anonymity, said that around 7.30 am, two or three people walking inside the complex noticed two bags lying behind Tower B-1, with bundles of Rs 500 notes scattered around them. They gathered the cash, clicked photographs and videos, and shared them on the society’s WhatsApp group, stating that someone’s money had apparently fallen there and could be collected by the rightful owner.

“It was later learnt that an ED raid was underway,” the resident said.

The searches come amid a series of ED actions involving persons linked to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Earlier, the ED had raided the premises of Punjab Industries Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (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.