CHANDIGARH: In an incident straight out of Bollywood film, bags filled to brim with cash was reportedly thrown out from the ninth floor of a building owned by Nitin Gohal, an IT professional, during an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid.
Two bags with cash worth Rs 21 lakh were thrown out the window and Rs 500 notes were seen scattered on the ground floor shortly after the incident.
The raid was conducted at Gohal's residence at Western Towers, Sector 127, Chajju Majra. He is said to have links with Rajbir Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The residents gathered at the spot as ED officials took possession of the bags containing cash. Morning walkers reportedly found currency notes scattered around the complex and notified the authorities.
ED officials continued the search operation for several hours. An ED team conducted a raid at a house in Sector 16, Chandigarh, while another team searched the premises of Bir Devinder Singh alias Biru in Mohali.
Biru is considered a close associate of a senior political functionary, said sources.
Sources said that the raids were conducted at dozen places in Punjab and Chandigarh as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged land fraud case involving builders and real estate companies.
These searches were conducted at the premises of Suntec City project, it's promoter Ajay Sehgal, as well as ABS Townships Private Limited, Altus Builders, Dhir Constructions and associated entities.
Nitin Gohal was being searched as he had allegedly arranged political protection for builders who had defaulted in payment of GMADA fees, ED sources said.
Sources further added that the investigation focuses on alleged irregularities in obtaining change of land use (CLU) permissions from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and the subsequent collection of large sums from investors.
Meanwhile, talking to the media in Amritsar, CM Mann denied any connection with the individuals who were searched by ED.
"They are in connection with some one’s old company, they can check any where."
A video of the incident was also recorded and has been posted by the Punjab BJP and Punjab Congress on their X handles. The BJP wrote, "What happened in Kharar, Mohali has created a political storm in Punjab politics. When the ED arrived, bags filled with cash were thrown down from a ninth-floor apartment. According to sources, the links are being traced to close associates of the Chief Minister. Will CM Bhagwant Mann respond as to why piles of cash were found in the homes of his close aides?"
Punjab Congress also posted on X, "During an ED raid at Western Tower in Kharar, bags filled with cash were reportedly found. Bundles of ₹500 notes were allegedly thrown from an apartment said to be linked to someone close to the Chief Minister’s OSD. This is the same apartment where senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, businessmen, tainted builders, and corrupt officials were said to frequently visit."
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia posted on X, "Crores of Money, Rs 500 notes flying in air. Money Belongs to whom--- OSD of CM Mann, Rajbir Singh. 'Kattar Fraudsters' in ED trap ... Hawala transactions unearthed. Major expose would land soon."
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said that the Enforcement Directorate’s raids on close aides of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had vindicated the allegations he had consistently raised over the past four years regarding large-scale corruption and misuse of power under the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab.
Bajwa said the shocking visuals emerging from the raids, including bags allegedly filled with cash being thrown out of a multi-storey building, had exposed the true character of the AAP government that claims to be a 'kattar imaandar' party.
"We have never witnessed such scenes in Punjab before. It appeared more like a crime thriller than governance. This is the real face of the Aam Aadmi Party which is actually an Arabpati Aadmi Party," Bajwa said.
He alleged that the AAP leadership had siphoned off more than Rs 30,000 crore from Punjab through various channels and asserted that the scale of loot committed during the present regime was unprecedented in the state’s history.
Bajwa demanded that the Enforcement Directorate thoroughly follow the money trail and investigate reports of huge sums of money allegedly being transferred abroad, including to Australia, New Zealand, European countries, the United States and Canada.
He further stated that if the BJP-led Central Government failed to place the complete truth before the people of Punjab, it would strengthen the growing public perception that the BJP and AAP were functioning as “two sides of the same coin” and merely attempting to build political narratives instead of ensuring accountability.