The CBI on Monday conducted searches at four locations in three cities in connection with a case against two private companies, unknown government officials and others for alleged illegal construction of a mall in Gurugram.
The searches were carried out in the premises of the accused persons in Delhi, Chandigarh and Panchkula. “Businessman Raj Singh Gehlot, a resident of Delhi, Ambience Limited, Ambience Developers and Infrastructure Private Limited and unknown officials of Haryana Urban Development Authority, Town & Country Planning Department, have been named in the case,” said an agency official.
The case has been instituted on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following allegations that the mall was constructed illegally on 18.98 acres by blatantly flouting the building by-laws and statutory provisions, in collusion with others.
Last month, the Enforcement Directorate had searched the premises of Aman Hospitality Private Limited (AHPL), other companies of the Ambience group, and its directors in connection with a bank fraud case. In all, ₹16 lakhs and ₹24 lakh in foreign currency [€16,120, £5,115 and $6,302] were seized from the house of Mr. Gehlot, it was alleged.
The ED is conducting the probe on the basis of an FIR registered by the Jammu Anti-Corruption Bureau against the AHPL and its directors for alleged money-laundering in the construction and development of the 5-star “Leela Ambience Convention Hotel” located near the Yamuna Sports Complex in Delhi.
According to the Directorate, a sizeable part of more than ₹800 crore taken in loans from a consortium of banks for the hotel project was diverted and also round-tripped using a web of companies. Employees of the Ambience group and associates of Mr. Raj Singh Gehlot were allegedly made directors or proprietors of such companies, and he was the “authorised signatory”.
