Chandigarh/New Delhi, Sep 22 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday conducted survey and search operations at the office of Punjab’s Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), that of IAS officer and Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Vikas Garg and a Delhi-based realty company as part of a money laundering investigation, officials said.
A total of 26 premises located in Mohali (SAS Nagar) and Ludhiana in Punjab, Panchkula in Haryana, Chandigarh, and Delhi were covered under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
While a survey operation was undertaken at GMADA premises and at the office of Garg, a 1998-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, searches were carried out at the rest of the locations.
There was no immediate reaction from GMADA and Garg.
In a survey operation, the ED officials cannot seize documents or computer devices but can take copies as part of gathering evidence under the anti-money laundering law.
The probe pertains to a real estate company named Tirupati Infraprojects, some linked entities and their directors and promoters who are accused of ” acquiring” two prime auction sites at Mohali from GMADA and subsequently obtaining “substantial” financial relief regarding the dues payable to the Authority, the ED officials said.
The central agency suspects that the “undue” gains obtained by the companies and the loss to the Punjab exchequer were more than Rs 100 crore.
The ED also raided a consultancy firm which is suspected to be acting as an intermediary in this case.
The realty company was investigated by the ED and the CBI in 2023 in connection with an alleged bank loan fraud case of Rs 290 crore.
Officials said they are also probing some other cases within GMADA, including the auction and waiver of external development charges and interest charges due from builders and developers.
A clutch of Punjab Police FIRs formed the basis for the ED case.
The agency has previously searched and questioned some people in GMADA-linked cases as part of a separate money laundering investigation. PTI NES KVK
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(PTI News)
