ED Charges 16 in Massive Guava Orchards Scam in Mohali
In a big move against corruption, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against 16 people in a special court in Mohali. This comes in a huge money laundering case linked to the infamous Guava Orchards Scam, where crooks grabbed wrongful compensation for land taken by the Punjab government. An official shared this update on Friday.
The ED’s Jalandhar Zonal Office submitted the chargesheet on Thursday. It names key accused like Bhupinder Singh and Vikas Bhandari, along with 14 others. The case revolves around illegal gains from fake claims on guava orchards during land acquisition.
Back in March 2024, ED teams raided several spots and seized incriminating documents that exposed the fraud. They had already frozen assets worth Rs 9.87 crore, including properties and other holdings, to stop the money from slipping away.
The whole probe kicked off after Punjab’s Vigilance Bureau filed an FIR against Bhupinder Singh, Vikas Bhandari, and their partners. The charges include sections from the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Digging deeper, ED found that private players teamed up with shady government officials to claim fake compensation. They pretended guava orchards stood on land that the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) needed for the Aerotropolis Residential Project near IT City in SAS Nagar, Mohali.
Here’s how they pulled it off: The accused snapped up land right after Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act kicked in, or even leased it temporarily—just to pocket the cash for non-existent guava trees. They forged land records with help from a Punjab revenue department official.
They didn’t stop there. The group roped in Horticulture Development Officers (HDOs) to cook up fake reports confirming the orchards existed. Even GMADA insiders jumped in, speeding up the wrongful payouts.
This Punjab land scam highlights how greed and collusion can drain public funds. ED’s action shows they’re cracking down hard on money laundering and corruption in land deals. Stay tuned for more updates on this unfolding case.
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