Punjab: Assets worth Rs 9.87 crore seized in Guava Garden scam

Punjab: While probing money laundering allegations against the accused in Mohali’s infamous guava orchard compensation scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office has provisionally attached their immovable properties and shares worth Rs 9.87 crore. These properties belong to mastermind Vikas Bhandari, his wife Ritika Bhandari, Bhupinder Singh, Karam Singh and Gurdeep Singh. The ED had initiated the probe based on an FIR filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau.

The ED probe so far has revealed that private individuals, in connivance with government officials, received wrong compensation against guava orchards shown to be present on land to be acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for setting up the Aerotropolis residential project in Mohali. To get maximum compensation, the density of trees was shown to be higher and their age was manipulated to get more compensation. The private individuals manipulated the revenue records in connivance with revenue and horticulture officials and prepared favourable reports. “Through such criminal activities, the accused earned criminal proceeds worth crores of rupees,” the ED release said.