Chandigarh/New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned 1993-batch Punjab-cadre IAS officer Anurag Verma for questioning in connection with its money-laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals linked to major real-estate projects in Punjab.
Verma has been directed to appear before the ED at its zonal office in Jalandhar on August 31, 2026. He is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary-cum-Financial Commissioner, Revenue, and had earlier served as Punjab Chief Secretary.
Verma is the second Punjab-cadre IAS officer to be summoned by the agency in the case. The ED had earlier questioned IAS officer Kanwal Preet Brar for nearly nine hours on August 18. Brar has now been summoned again and has been asked to appear before the agency on August 27.
Anurag Verma Was Heading Housing Department During Period Under Probe
The ED is examining the alleged role of government officials and whether prescribed rules were followed in matters concerning CLU permissions, modification of approved layouts and real-estate project approvals.
Verma was heading the Housing and Urban Development Department during the period in which several of the alleged irregularities under investigation are stated to have occurred.
The agency is particularly examining whether unauthorised changes were made to approved layouts to benefit private builders and whether CLUs were issued on the basis of allegedly fraudulent consent letters.
Verma confirmed that he had received the ED summons.
“Though the summons failed to mention the case in which I have been summoned, I will present all the required records before the agency with clear facts,” he said.
₹348-Crore Proceeds of Crime Under ED Scanner
The investigation is centred on the Suntec City real-estate project in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, and other related developments.
The ED has already filed a nearly 3,500-page prosecution complaint before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mohali on July 20.
In its complaint, the agency has accused realtor Ajay Sehgal of being the alleged mastermind behind the generation and concealment of proceeds of crime estimated at approximately ₹348 crore.
According to the ED, the alleged proceeds comprise around ₹212.58 crore in sales and ₹135.41 crore in unsold inventory.
The agency has alleged that Sehgal, who was associated with the Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society (ICHBS) Ltd, submitted forged consent letters to the Department of Town and Country Planning to obtain CLUs for 108.58 acres of agricultural land for residential and commercial development.
The alleged CLUs subsequently formed the basis for obtaining a licence from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and registration of the project under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA), according to the ED.
ED Examining Suntec City CLU Approvals
The ED’s investigation originated from an FIR registered at Mullanpur police station in November 2022 against Sehgal and other office-bearers of ICHBS, including Suresh Kumar Bajaj, Aashish Kamra and Rajesh Girdhar.
They were accused of allegedly cheating landowners and customers through fraudulent CLUs and related documents.
Sehgal, whom the ED has described as a key promoter of the Suntec City project, was arrested on May 22.
The agency is examining the process through which CLU permissions were granted, including the scrutiny and verification of applications, alleged violations of RERA provisions and the role of competent authorities in detecting purportedly fraudulent consent letters.
ED officials familiar with the investigation said the agency is examining the alleged role of officials who were at the helm of the Housing and Urban Development Department.
The probe is also looking into alleged unauthorised modifications to approved layouts and the issuance of CLUs allegedly based on fake consent letters.
Muirwoods Ecocity Project Also Under Probe
The investigation also concerns allegations surrounding the Muirwoods Ecocity mega-project.
According to the allegations being examined, group housing sites were transferred to Dhir Constructions, owned by Gaurav Dhir, after an application seeking transfer of the sites to GMADA was rejected.
The ED is also examining actions taken under provisions of the Punjab Regional and Town Planning and Development Act.
Questions have been raised over the use of Section 85 in the Suntec City matter despite allegations of material misrepresentation that could potentially have attracted action under Section 90 of the Act.
The policy in question was subsequently reversed in 2022, when Aman Arora, currently Punjab unit president of the Aam Aadmi Party, was serving as Housing and Urban Development Minister.
ED Examines Alleged RERA and Layout Violations
The agency has alleged several regulatory violations in connection with the Suntec City project.
According to the prosecution complaint, Sehgal allegedly failed to transfer land earmarked for economically weaker sections (EWS) to the GMADA estate officer as required under the licence conditions.
The ED has also alleged that some units were sold before RERA registration and that possession was handed over to certain landowners without obtaining the required completion certificate from GMADA.
The agency further alleged that the building plan and CLU for the Suntec City project were approved without providing for a mandatory solid-waste management area.
Joint Development Agreement and Other Projects
The ED investigation has also examined a joint development agreement between ICHBS Ltd and VRS Township Pvt Ltd, now known as ABS Townships Pvt Ltd.
According to the agency, development and sale rights for the project were transferred to ABS Township, whose directors included Sehgal’s brothers, Sanjay Sehgal and Anil Sehgal.
The agency has alleged that ABS Township subsequently registered projects including La Canela Phase 1 and District 7 with RERA and generated proceeds through the sale of residential units in New Chandigarh.
It has further alleged that units in La Canela Phase 2 were sold without obtaining RERA approval.
The ED said GMADA began receiving complaints regarding the alleged use of forged consent letters from 2020 onwards. According to the agency, despite the complaints, effective action was allegedly not taken against the accused, allowing the alleged generation of proceeds through sales in a project whose approvals were under question.
The agency has also alleged that ABS Township was subsequently granted CLU for another 14.59 acres, involving a change to the originally approved layout without following applicable RERA requirements.
ED Searches Yield Cash and Documents
The ED conducted searches at multiple premises and lockers linked to the accused in Mohali, Chandigarh and other locations during May and June.
According to the agency, the searches resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents, digital devices and unaccounted cash worth ₹30.98 lakh.
The ED has also claimed that ₹21 lakh was recovered after allegedly being thrown from the ninth floor of Western Towers in Kharar by persons linked to the accused.
The agency has alleged that Sehgal knowingly generated, acquired, possessed, concealed and used proceeds of crime arising from alleged offences involving CLUs obtained through forged consent letters and subsequent approvals and registrations.
IAS Officer Kanwal Preet Brar Also Re-Summoned
The ED’s latest action against Verma follows its questioning of IAS officer Kanwal Preet Brar on August 18.
Brar was questioned for nearly nine hours and has now been asked to appear again on August 27, along with additional documents sought by the agency.
With Verma’s appearance scheduled for August 31, the agency is expected to examine the role of officials involved in the administrative processes relating to housing, urban development, CLUs and project approvals during the period under investigation.
The summons to the two IAS officers come as the ED continues its probe into the alleged ₹348-crore proceeds of crime connected with the Suntec City and related real-estate projects.
