New Delhi, May 23: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Ajay Sehgal, the secretary of the Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society, in Jalandhar. This arrest is part of an investigation into a money laundering case related to the submission of fake consent letters to the Punjab government for obtaining land use change (CLU) for the Suntech City project.
The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR filed by Punjab police following complaints from farmers. The probe revealed that Ajay Sehgal had forged consent letters for 30.5 acres of land belonging to 15 landowners. Using these fraudulent documents, the accused individuals and entities were granted CLU to develop a mega real estate project named ‘Suntech City.’ The consent letters were created using forged signatures and thumbprints of the landowners.
On May 7, the ED conducted searches at eight premises linked to the Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society and ABS Township Private Limited. During the raid, cash amounting to ₹2.1 million was thrown from the balcony of businessman Nitin Gohil, scattering onto the street below. The ED officials later recovered the cash.
The investigation also revealed that, in addition to residential plots, Ajay Sehgal used the CLU obtained through fake consent letters to develop the La Canela residential multi-storey complex and the District 7 commercial complex. Units in these projects were sold even before receiving registration and approval from RERA. The accused have reportedly generated over ₹2 billion in sales from these illegal projects.
Furthermore, it was discovered that Ajay Sehgal has yet to transfer plots for economically weaker sections to the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA). Contrary to discussions held in the High Court, only a partial CLU for 30 acres was revoked under Section 85 of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act, allowing the sale of remaining stock in Suntech City.
The roles of senior officials from DTCP and GMADA are under investigation. The ED is in the process of making further arrests and is attempting to reach other government officials who allegedly aided Ajay Sehgal in this fraud in exchange for bribes.
The ED is conducting a thorough investigation, uncovering widespread irregularities within GMADA and the Department of Urban and Rural Planning. These irregularities have led to approvals granted to Suntech City and several other developers in exchange for illegal bribes, enriching real estate developers at the expense of poor farmers and landowners.
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