The event occurred at Western Towers Society in Chajju Majra close to Kharar, where the ED was executing a search operation at Flat No. 906.
A tense situation emerged at a housing complex near Kharar in Mohali district of Punjab on Thursday when bags said to contain cash were dropped from a ninth-floor apartment amid an Enforcement Directorate (ED) operation tied to an alleged extensive land and housing scam.
The event occurred at Western Towers Society in Chajju Majra close to Kharar, where the ED was executing a search operation at Flat No. 906. Sources indicate that as the central agency’s team arrived at the structure, bags reportedly filled with substantial sums of cash were hurled from the apartment.
Residents of the community were taken a back when bundles of Rs 500 notes were discovered scattered across the ground floor area. Officials from the central agency allegedly pursued the vehicle, but the driver was able to flee, and the bag taken in the car remains unaccounted for.
In the meantime, the agency confiscated the other bag at the location, and sources indicated that the seized bag held approximately Rs 21 lakh in cash, primarily in bundles of Rs 500 notes.
As word of the incident circulated, many residents converged with in the society grounds, causing confusion, while images and videos of cash scattered on the ground quickly circulated on social media. Meanwhile, police teams promptly arrived at the location after being informed about the occurrence.
Following the orders of Kharar DSP Ishant Singla, a police team headed by SHO Amrinder Singh from Kharar City Police Station reached the site and initiated an inquiry.
Police subsequently limited public access to the tower where the raid was taking place, and security teams were stationed throughout the building, including stairways and upper levels, while officials carried out the search for several hours
The raids are said to be part of a larger operation carried out by the Enforcement Directorate at 12 sites in Mohali and Chandigarh. These searches are associated with the fraud in acquiring Change of Land Use (CLU) licenses from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), as officials believe that hundreds of crores may have been raised from the public through illegal activities related to housing and real estate ventures.
Sources indicate that searches were carried out at sites associated with the Sunteck City project and its promoter Ajay Sehgal, while raids were also executed at properties related to ABS Township, Altus Builders, Dhir Constructions, and their affiliates. The ED is further probing claims that some builders who failed to make GMADA payments received assistance and protection via political ties.
