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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Punjab-based real estate developer Ajay Sehgal in a money laundering investigation linked to alleged forged consent letters used to obtain Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals for projects in Mohali. The probe involves projects including Suntec City, La Canela and District 7, with transactions estimated at over INR 200 crore. Authorities alleged that fake signatures and thumb impressions of landowners were used during the approval process. The investigation has also expanded to examine the possible role of officials connected to project clearances and land-use permissions in Punjab’s fast-growing real estate market.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Punjab-based real estate businessman Ajay Sehgal in connection with an alleged land fraud and money laundering case related to Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals in Mohali. Sehgal, who is associated with the Indian Cooperative House Building Society (ICHBS), was arrested by the agency’s Jalandhar unit under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Advertisement
The case is linked to a Punjab Police FIR filed after several farmers alleged that forged consent documents were used to obtain CLU permissions for real estate developments. According to the ED, fake signatures and thumb impressions of landowners were allegedly used on documents submitted for approvals linked to around 30.5 acres of land.
Investigators said the alleged forged documents were used for approvals connected to the Suntec City housing project in Mohali. The ED is also examining other developments, including residential project La Canela and commercial project District 7. Authorities estimate that transactions linked to these projects are valued at more than INR 200 crore.
Past week, the ED carried out raids across multiple locations in Mohali and Chandigarh linked to Sehgal, ICHBS and associated real estate entities. Offices, residential premises and project-related locations were searched as part of the investigation. Officials reportedly recovered documents, digital records and financial details connected to land approvals and project transactions.
The probe has now widened to examine the role of officials linked to the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and Punjab’s Town and Country Planning Department. Investigators are reviewing whether approvals were granted without proper verification of landowner consent documents and whether regulatory norms were bypassed during the clearance process.
Officials are also examining whether action taken against suspected violations in several other real estate projects across Punjab was limited despite complaints and documentation concerns. Reports indicate that more projects may come under scrutiny as agencies review approval records and financial transactions linked to land-use permissions.
Mohali has seen rapid residential and commercial development over the last few years due to increasing demand for housing, IT parks and mixed-use projects near Chandigarh. With large-scale urban expansion in the region, scrutiny around CLU approvals, land acquisition and compliance procedures has increased significantly. Regulatory authorities have also tightened monitoring of real estate projects after multiple complaints related to approval delays, documentation disputes and land conversion irregularities surfaced in Punjab in recent years.
The ED investigation is currently focused on tracing financial transactions, project approvals and the movement of funds linked to the developments under scrutiny. Authorities are expected to continue examining whether forged documents were used in additional projects connected to the accused entities.
Source PTI
5th Jun, 2025
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