ED arrests Punjab real estate businessman in land fraud case

Key points

• The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has arrested a real estate businessman in a money laundering investigation linked to the submission of alleged fake consent letters for obtaining Change of Land Use (CLU) from the Punjab government, officials said on Saturday (May 23, 2026).
• They said the accused, Ajay Sehgal, also Secretary of Indian Cooperative House Building Society (ICHBS), was taken into custody on Friday (May 22) by the Jalandhar office of the central agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had raided Mr. Sehgal, premises linked to the Suntec City project (developed by ICHBS) and some others earlier this month.
• The money laundering case stems from an FIR registered by Punjab Police based on a complaint received from farmers whose consent was "forged" to obtain the CLU.
• According to the ED, Mr. Sehgal is alleged to have prepared "fake" consent letters with respect to...