ED probes 21L trail to retd Punjab official's wife in border land case

Investigators have also examined the activities of a local business family allegedly associated with several stone-crushing firms in the region. The federal agency is probing whether these firms were part of a wider network that financed illegal extraction and routed payments through personal bank accounts.

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has traced alleged payments totalling ₹20.70 lakh from accounts linked to a stone-crushing firm to the wife of a retired Punjab government official in a money-laundering probe into the transfer of 92 acres of village common land in Pathankot district to private beneficiaries, people in the know told ET.

The land, comprising 734 kanals in Gol and Bhattian villages, is located along the Ravi river basin, less than four kilometres from the International Border with Pakistan. The agency is probing allegations that the transfer facilitated illegal extraction of sand and gravel from the area despite restrictions on mining in the sensitive border zone. According to agency sources, the land was transferred through an official order issued by Kuldeep Singh, then a District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO). Singh had reportedly been given additional charge as Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development), Pathankot, for 72 hours, just three days before his retirement. The ED is examining the circumstances under which he was assigned the additional charge and the subsequent transfer of public land to six private individuals allegedly acting as fronts for the mining network.


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The financial trail allegedly includes two payments made by Shiv Shankar Stone Crusher to Singh's wife. Bank records examined by the ED reportedly show a transfer of ₹16.50 lakh on June 26, 2023, followed by another payment of ₹4.20 lakh on July 4, 2023. The agency suspects that the payments were linked to the land-transfer order, people quoted above said.

Investigators have also examined the activities of a local business family allegedly associated with several stone-crushing firms in the region. The federal agency is probing whether these firms were part of a wider network that financed illegal extraction and routed payments through personal bank accounts.

The ED has also scrutinised alleged payments to local village representatives. Accounts linked to a member of the business family reportedly showed regular transfers to a local sarpanch and his wife dating back to 2019. The agency suspects that these payments were intended to secure local support for the mining operations and facilitate control over the land. The investigation has assumed significance because of the location of the alleged mining activity. Agency sources said the land falls within a sensitive stretch near the IB, where unauthorised excavation could have implications for border infrastructure and security. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had previously imposed restrictions on mining in the area, citing concerns that excavation could affect border security. The ED has, so far, conducted searches at 18 residential and industrial premises linked to the alleged network. During the operations, it reportedly seized ₹1.75 crore in cash and froze heavy machinery, including excavators and transport vehicles, suspected to have been used in illegal mining.

The ED's case stems from an FIR registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau against Kuldeep Singh and others. The agency is investigating the alleged proceeds generated through the transfer of public land and illegal mining operations.