New Delhi [India], July 31 : Four luxury cars having an acquisition value of approximately Rs 4 crore, jewellery worth Rs 14.5 lakh, and Rs 4.5 lakh in cash have been seized by the Directorate of Enforcement after searches were conducted against the Congress Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker and companies owned and controlled by him in a money laundering case.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) had on July 25 conducted search operations at 11 locations across Samalkha, Gurugram and Delhi belonging to M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd. (presently Mahira Infratech Pvt. Ltd) and other group companies of Mahira Group owned and controlled by Dharam Singh Chhoker (MLA, Samalkha Constituency, Haryana) and family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
In a release put out on Monday, ED said it initiated investigations based on FIRs registered by Gurugram Police against M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd. for “cheating and forgery”.
M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd, according to ED, had collected about Rs 360 crore from 1,497 home buyers under the affordable housing scheme, on the promise of providing houses at Sector 68, Gurugram.
“However, the said entity failed to deliver the houses and missed multiple deadlines. The home buyers have been holding protests /dharnas since 1 year against the Mahira Group seeking delivery of the promised houses at the earliest,” said the ED release.
ED investigations revealed that the said entity siphoned off home buyers' money by booking fake construction expenditures in group entities.
“Cash equivalent to the fake purchases was received back from the entities providing fake bills/ invoices by the Directors/Promoters of Mahira Group, which was used for personal gains. Several personal family expenditures were also booked as construction/ business expenditures in group entities.”
ED said preliminary investigations show that the Directors/ Promoters of Mahira Group siphoned off about Rs 107.5 Crore (fake expenses to the extent of Rs 57 crore and loans to group entities to the extent of Rs 50.50 crore) from M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd. (belonging to home buyers of Sector 68 housing project) alone.
Investigations with respect to the financial transactions of the other 4 affordable housing projects are in progress.
The Directors/ Promoters of Mahira Group, Dharam Singh Chhoker, Sikander Singh and Vikas Chhoker and other key employees remained absent during the ED search and to date did not join the investigation.
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