Gurugram, Feb 19 (IANS) In fresh action in real estate fraud linked to ‘Ansal Hub-83’ project in Gurugram’s Sector-83, the ED attached immovable properties worth Rs 82 crore belonging to promoters and senior officials of Ansal Housing Limited, an official said on Thursday.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Gurugram Zonal Office, provisionally attached immovable properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
The attachment proceedings were initiated against the promoters of the commercial project spread over a land measuring 19 Kanal 15 Marla (approximately 2.47 acres) and consisted of 147 commercial shops, 137 office spaces and two restaurant units.
The investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by Haryana Police under sections 120-B, 406 and 420 of IPC, 1860, that deal with offences of cheating, conspiracy and breach of trust.
The police registered the FIR in June 2023 against the promoters and senior officials of Ansal Housing Limited (formerly known as Ansal Housing and Construction Ltd) including its whole-time director Kushagra Ansal, the ED said.
The FIR also named the company’s associated entities namely Samyak Projects Private Limited and Aakansha Infrastructure Private Limited on the basis of a complaint of HUB-83 Allottee Welfare Association, representing more than 1,000 investors who had invested their hard-earned money in the said project on the basis of false assurances and misleading representations, the ED said.
The ED investigation revealed that the project was launched and commercial units were sold to investors even before obtaining valid statutory approvals and that although the project licence expired in December 2015, the developers continued to collect money from investors and sell units till September 2023 without renewing the licence.
It was revealed that several aggrieved investors had also approached the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority (HRERA) by filing complaints regarding delay in possession, non-completion of the project, illegal collection of money and violation of statutory obligations by the developer, the ED said.
Investors were promised timely possession and world-class facilities however, even after nearly 15 years, no occupation certificate has been issued and possession has not been handed over, the ED said.
The funds collected were not used for completing the project but were instead diverted for other purposes and personal gain, the ED said.
The ED investigation revealed that an amount of more than Rs 82 crore was collected from allottees from the year 2011-2023. The project land along with the construction done so far has been provisionally attached to prevent any transfer, sale or disposal of the assets, which could defeat future confiscation proceedings under the PMLA, the ED said.
–IANS
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