The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Punjab-cadre IAS officer Kanwal Preet Brar for questioning on August 18, in connection with its money-laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the grant of modified change of land use permissions for the Suntec City project in Mohali.
Why Brar Has Been Summoned
Brar, who served as Director, Town and Country Planning in 2024, is expected to be questioned over the processing and approval of change of land use permissions allegedly based on forged consent documents. The investigation has also widened to examine the role of other bureaucrats who were posted in the Housing Department during 2024, suggesting the ED is looking well beyond a single official.
Scrutinising the Due Diligence Behind Landowners' Consent
The summons was sent to Brar via email, with investigators seeking information on the due diligence undertaken to verify landowners' consent for the sale of land to the developer. When contacted, Brar said she was not aware of the summons, explaining she had not been in her office after 2 pm on Friday because she was away at a meeting, and wasn't sure whether the summons had been sent to her by that time.
The investigation has expanded to cover alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority and the Housing Department more broadly. The ED has already questioned several senior officials and sought complete records relating to change of land use permissions granted to Suntec City and other projects — a level of auditing services in India-style document scrutiny aimed at establishing exactly how these consent records were verified and approved in the first place.
The allegations centre on claims that fake consent letters, carrying forged signatures and thumb impressions of landowners, were used to obtain change of land use approvals. The Suntec City project was originally granted a change of land use approval back in 2016, which was then re-issued in 2024.
Fake Consent Letters for 30.5 Acres
According to the ED, fake consent letters were allegedly prepared for 30.5 acres of land belonging to 15 landowners, and these documents were allegedly used to secure the change of land use permissions in question.
What makes this particularly concerning is that project units were reportedly sold even before registration and approval from the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) had been completed. Sales worth more than ₹200 crore have been reported in connection with the projects currently under investigation.
The Promoter Already Under Arrest
The case has also brought the project's promoter under serious scrutiny. In July, the ED filed a prosecution complaint before the Special Court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in Mohali against Ajay Sehgal, Secretary of Indian Co-operative House Building Limited and promoter of Suntec City, for allegedly laundering nearly ₹348 crore.
Sehgal was arrested in May. The investigation originally began with an FIR registered in November 2022 at the Mullanpur police station, following complaints from landowners. The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority subsequently cancelled the society's licence in response.
An Investigation That Keeps Expanding
The ED's continuing inquiry is examining the process through which the land-use permissions were obtained, along with the level of official scrutiny applied to the supporting documents at each stage. With records from Suntec City and other projects already sought, and several senior officials already questioned, the investigation has moved well beyond individual landowner complaints to examine the broader administrative processes surrounding these approvals.
Brar's summons is the latest development in that inquiry, with investigators now working to establish exactly how the landowners' consent documents were verified before the relevant permissions were processed and approved.
FAQs
Q1. Why has the ED summoned IAS officer Kanwal Preet Brar?
Brar has been summoned for questioning regarding the processing and approval of change of land use permissions for the Suntec City project, which allegedly relied on forged consent documents.
Q2. How much land is involved in the alleged fake consent letter scam?
Fake consent letters were allegedly prepared for 30.5 acres of land belonging to 15 landowners, used to secure change of land use permissions.
Q3. What action has already been taken against the Suntec City promoter?
Promoter Ajay Sehgal was arrested in May, and the ED filed a prosecution complaint against him in July for allegedly laundering nearly ₹348 crore.