The Enforcement Directorate carried out coordinated searches across Mohali, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, and Delhi on Tuesday as part of its ongoing probe into an alleged 150 crore rupee Change of Land Use scam involving the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. Investigators searched the GMADA headquarters and the office of Punjab Housing Department Principal Secretary Vikas Garg, examining departmental files, official paperwork, and digital records. Agency officials arriving in three vehicles from regional units secured computer data at the authority’s complex and reportedly took several officials’ mobile phones for forensic review.
Wider Scrutiny Across Key Real Estate Projects
The federal agency has not issued a formal statement on the operation, but the coordinated action stems from alleged irregularities in the processing of land approvals and related fee assessments. Change of Land Use permits govern the statutory process through which land parcels are reclassified for alternative development purposes. The probe is focused on whether statutory guidelines were bypassed and if financial misconduct took place during the sanctioning stages. Multiple commercial and residential undertakings, including the Suntek City project in New Chandigarh, fall within the current scope of the investigation. The recent searches at state administrative headquarters follow earlier raids on premises connected to two private developers.
Senior Administrative Figures Examined
Tuesday’s escalation follows the questioning of prominent administrative officials associated with urban planning and development in the state. IAS officer Kanwalpreet Brar, who formerly served as the Director of the Department of Town and Country Planning, was questioned by investigators on August 18 for around eight to nine hours, and again on August 27. The inquiries centered on procedural clearances and administrative decisions authorized during her tenure. Additionally, former Chief Secretary Anurag Verma appeared before the agency at its Jalandhar regional office on September 9, where he faced over eight hours of questioning regarding departmental files from his time leading the Housing and Urban Development Department.
Summons and Expanding Documentary Review
The agency widened its paper trail on September 10 by issuing a summons to the Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police, seeking related records and investigative material. Agency officials are actively reviewing project sanctions, fee structures, and the broader financial transactions executed between private entities and state departments. While investigators have seized digital files and official correspondence for detailed analysis, no formal arrests or financial attachments were announced during Tuesday’s operations. Further procedural details regarding specific administrative roles and financial discrepancies are expected to surface as the documentation is assessed.
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