india

Updated: Jul 27, 2019 04:51 IST

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 66.57 crore in the so-called Manesar land scam involving Mahamaya Exports and other accused firms and individuals that made “wrongful gains” by “conspiring with” Haryana government officials and politicians, the agency said.

While the case is also under scanner of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), ED has attached the assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, it said in a statement.

The case dates back to a Haryana state notification that was issued on August 25, 2005 for the acquisition of 912 acres of land for setting up an industrial model township in villages Manesar, Naurangpur and Lakhnoula of Gurugram district.

Worried about the fate of their land, a large number of land owners who together owned about 400 acres, sold their holdings at a “throwaway” price to private builders, resulting in loss of Rs 1,500 crore, the statement said.

Subsequently, the government, a Congress one headed by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, withdrew its notification.

Most of the land was purchased by ABWIL group controlled by Atul Bansal, the agency said. “After obtaining of licences, ABWIL had fraudulently sold the licenced/unlicensed land and licences to the private persons/developers, thus making huge profit,” the statement said.

The agency initiated investigation on the basis of a first information report (FIR) registered at the Manesar police station. The case was subsequently transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Chandigarh, it said. ED has already attached assets worth Rs 42.19 crore in this case.