MOHALI, MAY 7 — An Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at a residential complex near Kharar took a chaotic turn on Thursday when occupants of a ninth-floor apartment allegedly threw bags filled with cash from a balcony to evade federal agents. The incident occurred at Western Towers in Chajju Majra as officials attempted to search Flat No. 906, which sources say remained locked from the inside for several hours during the operation.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing bundles of Rs 500 currency notes scattered across the ground floor of the society. ED officials quickly moved to take possession of the bags while residents gathered in the courtyard. The raid is part of a broader investigation into a massive fraud scheme involving the illegal procurement of Change of Land Use (CLU) licenses from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).
The central agency is investigating allegations that hundreds of crores were collected through cheating and the evasion of government fees. ED sources stated that the searches targeted several builders and housing projects, including Suntec City and its promoter Ajay Sehgal, as well as ABS Townships Pvt Ltd, Altus Builders, and Dhir Constructions. A key figure in the probe, Nitin Gohal, is accused of facilitating these defaults by arranging political protection for developers.
“The raid was carried out at Flat No 906 in Western Towers, Chajju Majra,” an ED source in Delhi affirmed. “During the search operation, two bags allegedly containing cash bundles were reportedly thrown from the building premises.”
The crackdown extended beyond Mohali, with simultaneous searches conducted at 12 locations, including Sector 16 in Chandigarh and sites in Patiala. Officials also searched the premises of Bir Devinder Singh, alias Biru, who is reportedly associated with a senior political figure. The agency is examining links between these entities and government functionaries to determine the extent of the political patronage involved in the land license scandal.
