ED arrests ‘absconding' ex-Haryana Congress MLA from 5-star hotel in Delhi
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested 'absconding' former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker from a five-star hotel in Delhi following a brief scuffle, officials said. Chhoker and his sons, Vikas (absconding) and Sikandar, face charges of 'cheating' more than 1,500 homebuyers and siphoning off over ₹500 crore funds obtained from them through their real-estate companies, commonly known as the Mahira Group.
The ED booked them under the anti-money laundering law in November 2021 and it has been asking the former MLA to join the probe since May last year by issuing summonses.
The 61-year-old former legislator was caught from the 'Grappa Bar' of the Shangri-La hotel on Ashoka Road around 10 pm on Sunday.
The ED officials said an 'intelligence input' was received by them around 8:30 pm that Chhoker was present at the hotel bar along with some people.
Gautam Barai, the investigating officer of the case, soon reached the spot in pursuance of the seven non-bailable warrants (NBWs) issued against the politician by courts, apart from a proclaimed-offender notification issued by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Gurugram, they said.
The officials said on being confronted by the ED officer, Chhoker started rushing towards the exit along with his personal security officer. Barai, along with ED's Gurugram zone Joint Director Navaneet Aggarwal, chased the former MLA and pinned him down.
They alleged that Chhoker tried to 'hit' the ED officers and the hotel staff even as the security personnel present around were called in.
The federal agency called up the local police and with the help of the beat constable, Chhoker was taken to the ED headquarters here and arrested at 2:37 am on Monday, the officials said.
The politician has been sent to a six-day ED custody by the Gurugram court, they added.
The former MLA from Samalkha in Panipat district lost the Haryana Assembly polls last year.
Sikandar was arrested by the ED in April last year from Uttarakhand's Haridwar and is currently out on bail.
The ED said its probe has found that Dharam Singh Chhoker was a director in at least six Mahira Group companies (Mahira Homes Private Limited), which was developing real-estate projects in sectors 68, 103 and 104 of Gurugram.
The agency claimed that funds collected from homebuyers were routed through a web of 'bogus' purchases that were 'artificially' created for laundering the money worth ₹56 crore.
It informed the court while seeking Chhoker's remand that these funds were used for his daughter's 'wedding expenses', purchasing several properties and also given to family members and close relatives in the guise of loans and advances.
The agency claimed that the politician did not respond to two summonses issued by it for questioning, leading to the issuance of the seven arrest warrants against him by the courts.
The PMLA court has issued multiple NBWs against Vikas Chhoker too. It had also issued a proclamation against the father-son duo and directed them to appear before it on May 19, the ED had said in March.
The special court had rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Dharam Singh Chhoker, a decision that was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The politician subsequently approached the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the NBWs against him, but the apex court did not give him any relief and rejected his petition last year.
The money-laundering case stems from four Gurugram Police FIRs lodged against Sai Aaina Farms Private Limited (now named as Mahira Infratech Private Limited) and associate companies of the Mahira Group.
The allegations against the Chhokers include submission of 'forged' documents, including fake bank guarantees, to obtain licences for external and internal development works.
'This fraudulent activity was carried out in connection with promised affordable housing projects at sectors 68, 103 and 104 in Gurugram and the company collected around ₹616 crore from 3,700 homebuyers.
'However, the company failed to deliver the houses within the promised timelines and misappropriated the funds,' the ED had said.
A chargesheet was filed by the agency in April against Sikandar Singh Chhoker and companies linked to him like Mahira Infratech Private Limited, D S Home Construction Private Limited and some others. Assets worth ₹80 crore have also been attached by the agency.
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