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The Directorate of Enforcement has provisionally attached immovable properties worth about ₹10.66 crore in connection with the Patnitop Hotels Land Encroachment case in Jammu and Kashmir.
The attachment, carried out by the ED’s Jammu Sub-Zonal Office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, covers land and buildings linked to Hotel Holiday Inn, Hotel Broadway, Hotel Hollywood and Hotel Mountview in Patnitop, Udhampur district.
With the latest action, the cumulative value of properties provisionally attached by the ED in the case has risen to approximately ₹41.38 crore.
ED Probe Originated From CBI Case
The money laundering investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Corruption Branch in Jammu.
The CBI case concerned allegations against owners and directors of hotels, guest houses, resorts, cottages and residences in the Patnitop area, along with officials of the Patnitop Development Authority.
According to the ED, the allegations included commercial use of residential buildings, construction beyond approved limits and operation of businesses in prohibited areas such as dense forests, agricultural land and residential zones.
The investigation also examined alleged compliance lapses that were overlooked by officials of the Patnitop Development Authority.
The CBI subsequently filed six charge sheets in 2023 against eight hotel owners associated with six hotels and several PDA officials.
The cases invoked provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act, Ranbir Penal Code, Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1978, and Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act, 1987.
Holiday Inn Allegedly Built Beyond Approved Plan
The ED investigation found that Hotel Holiday Inn had obtained sanctioned building permission but allegedly raised unauthorised construction measuring 7,552.74 square feet beyond the approved plan.
The agency also found that Hotel Broadway, Hotel Hollywood and Hotel Mountview were allegedly operating commercially as hotels without the required permission.
The ED has treated the hotel buildings, unauthorised construction, associated land and properties equivalent in value to income allegedly generated from such unauthorised commercial use as proceeds of crime.
These properties have now been provisionally attached under the PMLA.
Four Patnitop Hotels Covered in Latest Attachment
The latest attachment includes immovable properties linked to four hotels situated in the Patnitop area.
Hotel Holiday Inn was identified in relation to alleged construction beyond sanctioned limits, while the other three hotels were allegedly operating without the necessary permission to function commercially as hotels.
The ED’s action covers both the structures and the associated land connected with the alleged unauthorised commercial activity.
The agency has stated that the value of the properties attached under the present provisional attachment order is approximately ₹10.66 crore.
Total Attachments Rise to ₹41.38 Crore
This is not the first attachment made by the ED in the Patnitop case.
The agency had earlier issued two provisional attachment orders in 2025, attaching properties worth around ₹30.72 crore.
With the latest ₹10.66 crore attachment, the total value of properties provisionally attached in the case has reached approximately ₹41.38 crore.
The cumulative action indicates that the money laundering investigation is examining not only alleged unauthorised construction and commercial activity but also the financial benefits allegedly derived from such use.
Investigation Continues
The ED has said that further investigation in the matter is under progress.
The case remains at the investigation and prosecution stage, and the attachment is provisional under the PMLA.
The latest action adds another layer to the broader probe into alleged land-use violations, unauthorised commercial activity and compliance failures involving hotels and officials in the Patnitop area.
About the author — Suvedita Nath is a science student with a growing interest in cybercrime and digital safety. She writes on online activity, cyber threats, and technology-driven risks. Her work focuses on clarity, accuracy, and public awareness.
