Guava orchards case: ED searches houses of accused, Punjab Excise Commissioner

THE ENFORCEMENT Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted searches in at least 20 different locations in Punjab, including the residences of Punjab Excise and Taxation Commissioner Varun Roojam in Chandigarh and Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman in Ferozepur as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the Rs 137crore guava orchards compensation case, sources said.

A few kilometres from Chandigarh, in Mohali district of Punjab, an ED team searched the residence ofbhu pin der singh, the alleged main accused in the case.

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) had last year unearthed an alleged embezzlement of Rs 137 crore meant for guava orchards compensation and arrested 33 accused, so far. The latest action came following the VB'S FIR in this connection, they said.

The federal probe agency searched premises in Chandigarh, Mohali, Patiala, Ferozepur and Bathinda under PMLA provisions, sources said.

Dhiman’s wife Jasmine Kaur was alleged to be a beneficiary in the case, while Roojam too is understood to have invested in guava orchards in the name of his family members, sources said.

An ED official said they seized some torn documents from outside Roojam’s house but refused to divulge further details.