GURGAON: The Mahira Group’s directors Samalakha MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker and his sons Sikander Singh and Vikas Chhoker, diverted nearly Rs 107.5 crore collected from around 1,500 homebuyers in an affordable housing project in Sector 68, the Enforcement Directorate said on Monday.
The accused, the probe agency said, diverted Rs 57 crore in fake expenses and Rs 50.5 crore in loans to group entities from Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd —presently called Mahira Infratech Pvt Ltd — which is controlled by the Samalakha legislator.
On July 25, the probe agency conducted a series of searches at 11 locations belonging to the Congress MLA and companies “owned and controlled” by the group in Gurgaon, Panipat and Delhi in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged fraud with homebuyers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
A statement issued by the ED said neither the Mahira Group’s directors nor its employees were present during the searches and have not joined their investigation to date. It added four luxury cars worth around Rs 4 crore, jewellery worth Rs 14.5 lakh, Rs 4.5 lakh in cash and “evidence” related to the diversion of homebuyers’ money were seized during the searches.
The ED initiated the investigation in the case after an FIR was registered by Gurgaon police against Sai Aaina Farms for cheating and forgery. According to the FIR, the company collected about Rs 360 crore from 1,497 homebuyers under the affordable housing scheme.
Launched in 2017 by Mahira Infratech Pvt Ltd, the housing project was set for completion last year. On May 9, DTCP cancelled the licence of the Sai Aaina project citing that land documents, agreements and bank guarantee documents submitted by the developer to obtain the licence were allegedly forged, leaving homebuyers in the lurch.
Investigations into the financial transactions of four other affordable housing projects — in Sectors 63, 95, 103 and 104 — launched by the group are ongoing. Last year, Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority ordered forensic audits of all five affordable housing projects.
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