In a massive development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids at the residence of two Punjab IAS officers. As per reports, ED sleuths are conducting raids on 15 locations including many IAS officers, property dealers, and even some farmers mostly in Chandigarh and Mohali. ED's latest raid is undergoing in the infamous Guava Compensation Scam case. Before ED's raid, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau was investigating the matter and they even arrested more than 70 people in the case.
As per reports, ED is conducting raids at the residence of IAS officer Varun Roojam in Chandigarh. Varun Roojam is the Excise and Taxation Commissioner of Punjab. Apart from Varun Roojam, another team of ED is reportedly conducting raids at the residence of Ferozepur DC Rajesh Dhiman and ED’s accountant in Patiala. As mentioned above, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau had already made multiple arrests in the past, however, no IAS officers were arrested in the case.
Guava Compensation Scam Case Details
During the arrest of Horticulture Development Officer JS Sidhu, Punjab Vigilance Bureau in its 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.
The VB Spokesperson had said that during the investigation it came to light 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, some people had planted guava saplings on the site, but in consultation with GMADA officials, their age was shown to be 4 to 5 years. Due to which their compensation became quite high. In this way many people had taken compensation wrongly.
As per reports, IAS Varun Roojam and Rajesh Dhiman then PCS were posted as CA and ACA, GMADA, were 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.