New Delhi, February 25: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action against M/s Ansal Properties and Infrastructure Limited (APIL) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The agency has provisionally attached various properties in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, valued at over ₹598 crore.
This action was initiated based on a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the CBI’s Anti-Corruption Bureau in New Delhi, which was registered on January 23, 2019, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives (Civil Appeal No. 8977/2014). The FIR alleges APIL, along with government officials and private builders/colonizers, of offenses under IPC Sections 120-B, 420, and Section 13(2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The case is linked to large-scale irregularities in land acquisition and release in Gurugram, Haryana, specifically in sectors 58 to 63 and 65 to 67. Initially, the land was notified for public purpose (development and land bank) under Sections 4 and 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. However, due to collusion and fraudulent processes, most of the land was transferred to private colonizers, raising concerns over legal safeguards and government transparency.
The ED’s investigation revealed that APIL entered into collaboration agreements and obtained General Power of Attorney (GPA) from the notified landowners. This included flaws such as not providing any consideration before Section 4 notification, lack of contract terms, and post-facto changes, creating uncertainty over the notified status. This diminished the bargaining power of the owners, leading to the transfer of land at rates significantly lower than market value, resulting in illegal gains for APIL and losses for the landowners.
The Haryana DTCP granted licenses to APIL for 142.306 acres of land in Badshahpur village (licenses 18/2010, 21/2011, 26/2012), of which 42.751 acres of notified land was released from acquisition. Projects such as ‘Essencia’ and ‘Versalia’ were developed on this land, which have now been fully developed and sold to third-party buyers.
To protect innocent buyers and prevent issues in project possession, the ED has attached other real estate assets in Agra linked to APIL’s associated companies/individuals. The investigation found that these entities were used as land-holding vehicles while funding, control, and beneficial ownership remained with APIL.
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My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 8 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Udaipur Kiran & Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
