Summary:
JALANDHAR: Sixty properties worth Rs 37 crore, belonging to five accused in the Hoshiarpur land acquisition scam have been attached by the Enforcement Directorate . Out of the compensation amount received, the accused utilised some part for repayment of their loans and rest of the funds were diverted to their business concerns which were further utilised for repayment to creditors and other business expenses," the ED added. A provisional order for attachment of 54 vacant plots of land and three business and three residential premises was issued by the ED’s Jalandhar office under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The state vigilance bureau had registered an FIR in February 2017 in the case and the ED separately investigated the case under the provisions of the PMLA. The attached properties belong to SAD councillor Harpinder Singh Gill, district cooperative bank chairman Satwinderpal Singh Dhatt, Hoshiarpur Market Committee chairman Avtar Singh Johal and Hoshiarpur residents Parteek Gupta and Jaswinderpal Singh.They were beneficiaries of the excess payment for acquisition of the land.The ED said its investigation had revealed that criminality in this case had occurred mainly on two counts — sale and purchase of the land by private persons in the notified area was allowed which otherwise was prohibited after the issuance of the notification by the government to acquire the land.Also, private parties were paid “undue and excess compensation” by the competent authority for land acquisition against taking over of land on residential rates despite the fact that the type of land mentioned in the notifications was agricultural.“In this manner, the private parties got undue and excess compensation which together amounted to Rs 37 crore..