ED Seizes ₹10.66 Crore in Property Linked to Patnitop Hotel Land Encroachment Case
The Enforcement Directorate has seized ₹10.66 crore in properties related to illegal hotel activities in Patnitop, Jammu.
Jammu, November 2 (Daily Kiran) : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized properties worth ₹10.66 crore linked to illegal business activities and unauthorized construction by hotels in Patnitop, located in Jammu’s Udhampur district. An official confirmed the action on November 2.
The ED’s Jammu sub-regional office reported that the seized assets include land and buildings associated with Hotel Holiday Inn, Hotel Broadway, Hotel Hollywood, and Hotel Mountview. These properties were temporarily confiscated under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
According to a statement, the ED initiated its investigation based on FIRs filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and local authorities against various hotel owners and officials from the Patnitop Development Authority (PDA).
Allegations suggest that these hotels and resorts have been operating residential buildings for commercial purposes, exceeding approved construction limits, and conducting business in restricted areas, including dense forests, agricultural land, and residential zones. Officials from the PDA reportedly overlooked these violations.
The CBI has filed six chargesheets against eight hotel owners and several PDA officials under various laws, including the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, the Ranbir Penal Code, the Tourism Trade Registration Act of 1978, and the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act of 1987.
The investigation revealed that Hotel Holiday Inn constructed an unauthorized area of 7,552.74 square feet, despite having the necessary building permits. Additionally, Hotels Broadway, Hollywood, and Mountview operated commercially without the required licenses. The ED has classified the identified properties, which include unauthorized constructions and income derived from illicit business activities, as proceeds of crime.
Previously, in 2025, the ED had issued two temporary attachment orders for properties worth ₹30.72 crore related to this case. With the current seizure, the total value of assets temporarily confiscated in this matter has risen to ₹41.38 crore.
