The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out raids in at least 8 districts of Punjab in connection with a money-laundering case linked to an alleged Guava orchards compensation scam of Rs 137 crore. ED raided multiple IAS officers' premises, property dealers, and even some farmers in the alleged Guava Orchard Compensation Case. ED sleuths also conducted raids at the residence of Ferozepur DC Rajesh Dhiman and ED’s accountant in Patiala. Taking cognizance of a Punjab Vigilance Bureau case pertaining to alleged embezzlement of nearly Rs 137 crore released as compensation for guava orchards on land acquired by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), the ED has registered the case. Now, the question arises what is the Guava orchard compensation scam?
Punjab Vigilance Bureau in May 2023 had registered an FIR under Sections 409, 420, 465, 466, 468, 471, 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13(1) (a), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act in Mohali. The Vigilance Bureau in its official release had said that the agency registered a case FIR no. 16 in 2023 after unearthing a huge scam about embezzlement of about Rs 137 crores released under the disguise of compensation for said Guava orchards situated on the land acquired for development of Aerotropolis city by acquiring agricultural land on some villages including village Bakarpur and others situated alongside the Airport Road in SAS Nagar city.
Around 2016-17, individuals associated with the government and GMADA officers reportedly possessed knowledge of impending land acquisitions. Allegedly, they strategically purchased land and extensively planted guava trees to inflate compensation amounts. By purportedly manipulating records to indicate tree planting in 2016 instead of the actual 2018 timeline, they allegedly facilitated the illicit extraction of crores in compensation.
As per the Vigilance Bureau Spokesperson, the agency in its investigation found that certain beneficiaries/ landowners, who have claimed compensation for fruit-bearing trees situated in the name of orchids on their land, were familiar with the concerned officials/ higher-ups of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and were having prior information of the land acquisition as well as the concerned villages, where the land was to be acquired. Moreover, they were also aware that the compensation for trees, including fruit-bearing plants, would be assessed separately from the value of the land acquired.
Before the land was acquired for the development of Aerotropolis City, some people had planted guava saplings on the site. The same is the land owner in consultation with GMADA officials showcased the Guava's saplings age to 4 to 5 years. Due to this, their compensation became quite high. In this way, many people had taken compensation wrongly.
As per reports, IAS Rajesh Dhiman and one other big IAS officer were posted as ACA and CA, GMADA. They were reportedly privy to ‘confidential inside information’ regarding the futuristic roadmap of planned urbanization, to be undertaken by GMADA in different villages of Tehsil Mohali, District SAS Nagar based on ‘Classified Information’ that was available to them only.
As per reports, the name of Jasmine Kaur Dhiman, the wife of IAS Officer Rajesh Dhiman, is listed as a beneficiary who got handsome compensation wrongfully in lieu of the land acquired by GMADA at Bakarpur village.
Notably, despite the names popping up of multiple Punjab IAS officers, they were not arrested by the Vigilance Bureau and hence the ED has launched fresh actions in the case.
A total of 33 arrests have been made in the Guava Orchard Scam case, suggests reports. Horticultural Development Officer Jaspreet Singh Sidhu, who was then posted at Kharar and Dera Bassi, was the last arrest made in the case on January 30, 2024.
The VB had categorically highlighted the call detail records showing the proximity of JS Sidhu with other accused beneficiaries, statements of various witnesses, tampered and forged documentary records, and differences in-between the report submitted with GMADA and the office copy of the same report retained in the state Horticulture Department. Besides, the category of the same plants was shown to be higher in the report submitted with GMADA than that mentioned in the office copy of the same report.
Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Bakarpur, a property dealer, in connivance with officials/employees of GMADA, Revenue, and Horticulture department, along with his colleagues reportedly planted guava orchards on the agricultural land by getting land on general power of attorneys.