The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has expanded its investigation into the controversial Lotus-300 (Hacienda) project, bringing the spotlight back onto Mohinder Singh, the former CEO of Noida Authority, during whose tenure multiple high-value scams allegedly took place. The latest development involves the massive ₹2,000 crore farmhouse allotment scam that occurred during the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime.
According to official sources, the ED has attached files related to the farmhouse scheme—a project that allegedly caused significant revenue losses to the Uttar Pradesh government. The farmhouses, situated along the Yamuna riverbank, were allotted at heavily discounted rates through an open-ended scheme introduced in 2008 and 2010 by the Noida Authority.
Records show that while the market rate for land ranged between ₹15,000 to ₹17,500 per sq. meter, plots were allocated at rates as low as ₹3,100 to ₹3,500 per sq. meter. In total, 157 allottees were granted 18.37 lakh square meters of land under questionable pricing terms. The ED is now probing the circumstances and decision-making that led to this large-scale undervaluation.
CAG Exposé and Family Links Raise Serious Red Flags
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had earlier flagged these allotments as grossly undervalued, estimating the direct loss to the exchequer at over ₹2,000 crore. In its report, the CAG highlighted how 22 plots were allotted in 2008-09, 43 plots in 2009-10, and 83 plots in 2010-11 at prices far below the prevailing circle rates.
The probe has further intensified due to alleged familial and financial ties between Mohinder Singh and 3C Group director Nirmal Singh, one of the primary developers involved in the Lotus-300 project, also under ED’s lens. Investigators believe the relationship may have influenced key land deals and approvals during Singh’s tenure as CEO.
So far, ED has seized files and records from Noida Authority pertaining to land allotments and approvals granted to Nirmal Singh, 3C Group, and other consortium partners. These include data from group housing, commercial, institutional, and sports city projects—suggesting that the scope of the probe may continue to widen in the coming days.
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ED Gathers Momentum: More Questioning and Seizures Likely
The ED’s intensified scrutiny indicates a zero-tolerance stance toward high-value urban land scams. Officials confirm that questioning of key individuals involved in the farmhouse allotment, including present and former Noida Authority officials, may begin soon. The agency is particularly focusing on identifying whether insider influence played a role in manipulating land pricing and approval mechanisms.
The Hacienda (Lotus-300) project, which is already mired in separate allegations of fund diversion and investor fraud, now appears to be the nexus point of a much broader real estate scandal. With the farm house scam now officially part of the same investigative framework, the legal troubles for those involved, especially Mohinder Singh and Nirmal Singh, could escalate.
Public interest in the case is growing, with urban policy experts calling for a full audit of land allotments and pricing practices within the Noida Authority during the 2008–2011 period. Meanwhile, the ED is expected to revisit past allotments and approvals under the microscope, signaling a long legal battle ahead.
