ED attaches fresh Rs 44-cr worth assets of Haryana ex-MLA Chhoker, sons

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday said it had attached fresh assets worth Rs 44 crore of "absconding" former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker and his businessmen sons as part of a money-laundering investigation linked to a "fraud" with 1,500 homebuyers in Gurugram.

A provisional order was issued on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to attach about three acres of agricultural land, 2,487 sq m of commercial plots and eight residential flats located in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad and Panipat, the federal agency said in a statement.

Fixed and bank deposits worth Rs 96 lakh have also been attached as part of the order. These assets, worth a total Rs 44.55 crore, relate to Chhoker, his sons Vikas Chhoker (also absconding) and Sikandar Chhoker who is out on bail, and their company Sai Aaina Farms among others, it said.

Assets worth over Rs 36 crore were attached by the agency in this case last year.

Dharam Singh Chhoker is a former MLA from Samalkha in Panipat. He, however, lost the assembly polls last year from the same seat.

The Chhokers face charges of "cheating" more than 1,500 homebuyers and siphoning over Rs 500 crore funds from them.