Punjab-cadre IAS officer Kanwalpreet Brar appeared before the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday, August 18, in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in the Change of Land Use (CLU) approval for a real estate project in Mohali.
Brar had been summoned by the central agency on Monday and was asked to appear for questioning on August 18 and the questioning is linked to the ED’s investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the ‘Sunteck City’ project in Palheri village, Mohali.
The case involves allegations that consent documents belonging to farmers were fabricated to facilitate the change of land use for the project and the matter first came under scrutiny following a complaint filed by Karamjit Singh, a landowner from Palheri village, in 2020.
According to the complaint, consent letters related to 53 kanals of Singh’s land were allegedly fabricated, similar allegations were made regarding land measuring around 30.5 acres belonging to 14 other farmers. The documents were allegedly prepared using forged signatures and thumb impressions of the landowners.
Following the complaint, the matter was investigated by the police and the then SP (Investigation) of Mohali, Harmandeep Hans, submitted an investigation report in which allegations of forgery, fraud and criminal conspiracy were raised.
Based on the police investigation, an FIR was registered at Mullanpur police station in November 2022 and the police case later became the basis for the ED’s money laundering investigation.
As part of its investigation, the ED conducted searches at 12 locations across Mohali and Chandigarh and the agency questioned officials and directors associated with ABS Township and Eltus Space Builders, along with people linked to the Sunteck City project.
During one of the searches at the residence of businessman Nitin Gohal, reports stated that cash amounting to ₹21 lakh was thrown from the ninth floor during the ED operation.
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Ajay Sehgal, identified as the key promoter of Sunteck City and after his arrest, Sehgal was produced before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mohali.
The court remanded Sehgal to ED custody until May 27, 2026.
The latest development concerns IAS officer Kanwalpreet Brar’s appearance before the ED and her questioning is understood to be related to the approval process and administrative procedures connected with the project, particularly the CLU process.
Change of Land Use, or CLU, refers to the official process through which land use is changed from one permitted category to another, such as agricultural land being approved for a different purpose. Such approvals are subject to government rules and procedures.
The ED is investigating the money laundering angle arising from the alleged irregularities, Brar’s appearance before the agency does not by itself establish any wrongdoing on her part.
