Chandigarh: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the Mohali SSP on Sept 10, seeking details of the police investigation into the alleged cheating of farmers in the Suntec City project and action taken on fresh offences flagged by the central agency.The ED’s money-laundering probe stems from an FIR registered at Mullanpur police station on Nov 19, 2022. The FIR followed complaints by farmers and landowners alleging that fake consent letters were prepared and used to obtain change-of-land-use (CLU) permissions for the Suntec City project.The matter had also come up before the Punjab and Haryana high court in connection with a civil writ petition.The ED is understood to have sought details of the police investigation under Section 54 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) through communications dated Aug 27, Aug 29 and Aug 31, but the information was not furnished by the SSP’s office.The agency is also learnt to have shared findings of its investigation with the Mohali SSP through letters and emails dated July 1, July 21, Aug 14, Aug 24 and Aug 25, highlighting material that, according to the ED, warranted registration of fresh offences. An ED official said the agency had received no response from the SSP’s office on the issue.The ED has now directed the Mohali SSP to furnish the requisite information on Sept 10.The development comes as the ED has widened its probe into alleged irregularities related to CLU permissions, layout changes and the use of allegedly forged landowners’ consent documents in the Suntec City project.The agency has also questioned senior officials in connection with the administrative decisions under scrutiny. IAS officer Kanwar Preet Brar was questioned twice, on Aug 18 and Aug 27, while former Punjab chief secretary Anurag Verma has been summoned for questioning on Sept 9.
