Under the provisions of the Prevention of Money-laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached assets worth Rs. 37.26 crores belonging to Surinder Pal Singh @ Pehalwan, his family, entities incorporated through family members, and associates. The linked assets include 63 immovable properties in various areas of Punjab, including parcels of land and structures.
These properties are affiliated with Surinder Pal Singh and his family members, as well as various additional assets registered in the names of other closely related entities/individuals. The attached assets also include moveable properties in the form of balances in many bank accounts belonging to Mr. Singh, his family members, and enterprises owned and controlled by Surinder Pal Singh @ Pehalwan.
The ED launched an inquiry based on the FIR registered and Charge-sheet submitted by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under different sections of the IPC and PC Act. Surinder Pal Singh, who worked as an Executive Engineer/Superintendent Engineer/Chief Engineer at various offices of the Punjab Mandi Board and the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), was accused of incorporating several companies through his family members and depositing a large sum of money earned by him through illegal means in the accounts of such companies.
He abused his official position by allocating multi-crore contracts to his preferred firms/companies, resulting in unlawful monetary benefits for himself and several other members of his own family, etc.
In this regard, the ED had previously conducted searches under the PMLA at several locations associated with Surinder Pal Singh, his friends, and others, as a result of which proceeds of crime worth Rs. 5.93 Crore were ordered to be frozen.
During the ED investigation, Surinder Pal Singh @ Pehalwan and his family members and associates were unable to prove the genuineness of the business/financial transactions of such companies incorporated by Surinder Pal Singh in the names of his family members, which clearly established the fact that the companies were floated only to launder Surinder Pal Singh’s illicit income earned by misusing his official position in the Punjab government.
Furthermore, no supporting documentation was ever presented by them throughout the inquiry into large cash transactions in the bank accounts of firms managed and controlled by Surinder Pal Singh. Furthermore, several properties were discovered to have been acquired directly in cash in the name of such organisations throughout the examination. This topic is being investigated further.
