On December 14, 2023, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) filed a prosecution complaint (PC) before the Hon’ble Special Court, PMLA, Mohali, alleging that Gurinder Singh, nine officers of the Punjabi irrigation department, and four private individuals have violated the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The PC was brought before the Honorable Court on December 14, 2023.
The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and various sections of the IPC, 1860, and various challans filed by the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, served as the basis for the ED’s investigation. It was claimed that different Detailed Notice Inviting Tenders (DNITs) for specific irrigation project works in Punjab were customized with Gurinder Singh Contractor’s eligibility requirements in mind. In addition, a number of additional irregularities pertaining to the allocation and implementation of said project works in Gurinder Singh Contractor’s favor were observed, resulting in a substantial loss to the public coffers.
In this regard, the Enforcement Department (ED) first recognized and appended movable properties as proceeds of crime beneficially owned by Gurinder Singh during the course of the investigation. These properties took the form of bank balances totaling approximately Rs. 41.50 Crore. Additional ED investigation also showed that Gurinder Singh’s proceeds from the crimes he committed were also available as a variety of immovable properties. As a result, an additional temporary attachment order for Rs. 70.15 crore was issued. As a result, the total POC found and attached in this instance is approximately Rs 112 crore.
