Mohali, Sep 12 (IANS) The ED filed a chargesheet against 16 accused in a Special PMLA Court, Mohali, in connection with the multi-crore rupee scam that involved wrongful collection of compensation for land acquired by the Punjab government, an official said on Friday.

The chargesheet was filed on Thursday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, against Bhupinder Singh, Vikas Bhandari and 14 other accused in a money laundering investigation related to the case, popularly known as the Guava Orchards Scam.

The federal probe agency had earlier conducted searches on March 27, 2024, at different premises, which led to the recovery of various incriminating documents. Earlier, ED had also attached immovable/movable properties worth Rs 9.87 crore.

The ED initiated the investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, against Bhupinder Singh, Vikas Bhandari and others under various sections of the IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 1988.

Investigation by ED revealed that private persons in connivance with government officers availed wrongful compensation in lieu of guava orchards shown existing on land which was to be acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).

The Punjab government agency had acquired the land for setting up the Aerotropolis Residential Project near the IT city in SAS Nagar, Mohali. The accused bought land after the imposition of section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act, or took the land on lease, only for the sake of getting wrongful compensation for guava orchards, the ED said.

The probe agency said that for the scam, the accused connived with an official of Punjab’s revenue department to forge land records.

The ED said the accused also conspired with Horticulture Development Officers (HDOs) to get favourable assessment reports about the existence of guava orchards on the land that was proposed to be acquired.

Officials in the GMADA also played an active role in the scam by facilitating the payment of wrongful compensation, the ED said.

–IANS

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