ED files chargesheet against naib tehsildar, 12 others

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New Delhi, July 18

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) today said it had filed a prosecution complaint (equivalent to a police chargesheet) against Varinder Pal Singh Dhoot, naib tehsildar, and 12 others under Section 44 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a case related to misallocation and illegal sale of falsely allocated shares of shamlat (panchayat) land.

Land deal case

The ED investigation has established that revenue officials, while preparing the intkal, falsely allotted shares of shamlat land at Seonk village to the tune of 102 acres in the name of some ineligible villagers.

In a statement, the ED said the prosecution complaint was filed at an SAS Nagar special court on July 16. The special court for PMLA matters had taken cognisance of the prosecution complaint on July 17, it added.

Officials in the agency said the ED initiated its probe under the provisions of the PMLA on the basis of an FIR registered by the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

They said the ED investigation had established that revenue officials, including Dhoot and others, “while preparing the intkal, falsely allotted shares of shamlat land at Seonk village to the tune of 102 acres (having a market value of nearly Rs 30 crore) in the name of some ineligible villagers”.

Subsequently, power of attorneys were obtained by property dealers from these villagers and on the basis of these, the property dealers, in connivance with revenue officials, sold shamlat land to outside buyers, they alleged.

The sale consideration was shared by the property dealers and revenue officials, giving a small amount to the villagers as well from whom the power of attorneys were obtained, the officials said.

Dhoot was arrested by the ED on April 20 and has since been in judicial custody. The agency has also provisionally attached residential properties of Dhoot in Chandigarh and Hoshiarpur valued at Rs 8 crore, they said.