The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted raids at multiple locations in Punjab including at the residence of two senior IAS officers. ED's latest crackdown in Punjab took place in the Guava Orchard Compensation scam case. The Central agency in their official release confirmed conducting searches at 26 locations in Punjab that included residential & business premises related to Bhupinder Singh and other private persons along with two Senior IAS officers, officers of revenue & horticulture department. Th raids were carried out in various districts across the state of Punjab- Ferozepur, Mohali (SAS Nagar), Bathinda, Barnala & Patiala, and Chandigarh under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
ED in its official release stated that it found various incriminating evidences, property documents, mobile phones, and cash worth Rs.3.89 Crore. However, ED did not clarify whether the cash was recovered from any of the Punjab IAS officers or not. ED initiated an investigation based on an FIR registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under various sections of IPC, 1860, and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Bhupinder Singh, Jasmine Kaur, and others.
The two senior IAS officers are Varun Roojam and Rajesh Dhiman. While Varun Roojam is the Punjab Excise Commissioner, Rajesh Dhiman is Ferozepur's Deputy Commissioner. As per reports, the raids in Punjab took place for 15 hours.
What is the Guava Orchard Compensation Scam case?
As per ED's official release, in the year 2016 Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), Punjab started the process of acquiring land in various villages of SAS Nagar, Punjab for 'Setting up Aerotropolis Residential Project Near IT city and Aerocity in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar'.
Private persons close to officers of GMADA, Revenue Department & Horticulture Department were aware of the fact that compensation for fruit-bearing trees (Guava trees) would be assessed separately from the value of land acquired and additional compensation was to be granted as per the quality, age, and various other parameters related to Guava trees planted.
Accordingly, Persons involved in the scam (beneficiaries, officers of GMADA, Revenue, and Horticulture department) colluded amongst themselves and created false/ forged records and reports regarding the existence/age/quality/density of guava trees to avail wrongful compensation. Total Proceed of Crime (PoC) identified so far is Rs. 140 Crore (approx.)