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India Gazette
08-05-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Enforcement Directorate arrests Ex-MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker under PMLA Act
Gurgaon (Haryana) [India], May 8 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Dharam Singh Chhoker, Ex-MLA of Samalkha, on May 5, under the PMLA Act, 2002, in connection with a case involving M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd. and others. Chhoker, accused of siphoning off hundreds of crores of homebuyers' funds related to multiple projects in Gurugram, was apprehended at Hotel Shangri La, New Delhi, revealed the ED. The Ex-MLA has been evading arrest for more than a year despite 6 Non-Bailable Warrants against him issued by the Hon'ble Special Court, PMLA, Gurugram, which had also proclaimed him, according to the ED statement. The ED has also confirmed the arrest of Dharam Singh Chhoker on X handle, which stated that he had been produced in court on May 5, and further court has also granted a five-day custody to him. According to ED, Dharam Singh Chhoker, along with his sons Sikandar Singh and Vikas Chhoker, siphoned off Rs. 616 Crore of 3,700 innocent homebuyers of various affordable housing projects located in Sectors 68, 103, and 104 of Gurugram. Dharam Singh Chhoker has been the Director in various group companies of Mahira Group. Using the bank accounts of these companies, the accused persons have diverted the funds by inflating construction expenses using bogus invoices, used home buyers' money to purchase luxury cars, and also made expenses for the wedding of their daughter, etc. The ED initiated its probe based on multiple FIRs filed by Gurugram Police under various sections of the IPC, 1860, for cheating and forgery. Previously, in this case, Dharam Singh Chhoker's anticipatory bail application has been rejected by the Ld. Special Court, Gurugram and the Hon'ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana, according to ED. ED also revealed that another accused, Sikander Singh, was also arrested in this case, and properties to the tune of Rs. 80 Crore (approx.) have been provisionally attached by ED. Further, Vikas Choker, son of Dharam Singh, another accused in the matter, is still absconding, said the ED. Further investigation is in progress. (ANI)
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Former MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker held for diverting homebuyers' funds
Chandigarh: An investigation by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has established that Dharam Singh Chhoker , the former MLA, along with his sons Sikandar Singh and Vikas Chhoker, siphoned off Rs 616 crore belonging to 3,700 homebuyers of various affordable housing projects located in Gurugram's Sector 68, 103, and 104. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Officials sources on Wednesday informed that the ED investigation has confirmed that Chhoker himself was a director in various group companies of the Mahira Group. Using the bank accounts of these companies, the accused persons diverted the funds by inflating construction expenses using bogus invoices. They used homebuyers' money to purchase luxury cars and cover expenses for the wedding of Chhoker's daughter, among other things. The ED, Gurugram Zonal Office, arrested Dharam Singh Chhoker, former MLA of Samalkha in Panipat district during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in the case related to M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd and others for siphoning hundreds of crores of homebuyers' money. Chhoker was apprehended from Hotel Shangri-La in New Delhi. He had been evading arrest for more than a year despite six non-bailable warrants being issued against him by the Special Court, PMLA, Gurugram, which also issued a proclamation against him. He was produced before the court in Gurugram on Tuesday, which sent him into five-day ED custody. Notably, Vikas Chhoker, Dharam Singh's son and another accused in the matter, is still absconding. Investigation is in progress. It may be recalled that the ED initiated investigations on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Gurugram Police under various sections of the IPC for cheating and forgery. Earlier, the anticipatory bail application filed by Dharam Singh was rejected by the Special Court, Gurugram, and the Punjab and Haryana high court. Further, another accused, Sikandar Singh, was also arrested in the case, and properties to the tune of Rs 80 crore (approx) have been provisionally attached by the ED.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Former Haryana MLA arrested after scuffle with ED officials at Delhi hotel: Who is Dharam Singh Chhoker?
Seven non-bailable warrants and an escape attempt later, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker of the Congress at a five-star hotel in New Delhi on Sunday in connection with an alleged money laundering scam worth Rs 1,500 crore. On Sunday evening, when the ED's Gurgaon zone joint director Navaneet Agrawal arrived at the hotel in Delhi to arrest Chhoker, the former Samalkha MLA attempted to run before he was caught and subdued. His arrest was caught on a CCTV camera. 'Realising the threat of arrest, Chhoker and his bodyguard started running towards the exit. Agrawal chased and caught him after a long scuffle. In the process, Chhoker tried to hit and hurt the officers and the hotel staff. But he was nailed down and detained by Agrawal … While being taken to the ED office too, the former MLA made several attempts to get out of the car but could not succeed,' said an ED official. Chhoker, 61, is a close aide of former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The ED case pertains to alleged irregularities in the allotment of flats, houses, and plots by his real estate companies in Gurgaon. The former MLA and his firms allegedly amassed over Rs 616 crore from investors but failed to deliver the allotments. #JUSTIN: CCTV footage: The ED has arrested Congress's former Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker from a five-star hotel in connection with an alleged money laundering scam worth Rs 1,500 crore. @IndianExpress — Mahender Singh Manral (@mahendermanral) May 6, 2025 In March, the ED issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and attached about three acres of agricultural land, 2,487 sq m of commercial plots, and eight residential flats located in Delhi, Faridabad, and Panipat in connection with the case. Fixed and bank deposits worth Rs 96 lakh were also attached as part of the same order. In March, the ED auctioned assets worth Rs 44.55 crore linked to Chhoker, his sons Vikas and Sikandar, and their company, Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd. While Vikas is absconding, Sikandar is out on bail in the case. In 2024, the agency had attached the family's assets worth Rs 36 crore in connection with the same probe. A two-time former MLA, Chhoker won his first Assembly election in 2009 from Gujjar-dominated Samalkha on a ticket of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), a breakaway Congress faction led by former CM Bhajan Lal that later merged with the Congress. When the HJC aligned with the BJP in 2014, he contested Samalkha on a Congress ticket, but lost. Chhoker was re-elected from Samalkha on a Congress ticket in 2019. Most recently, he unsuccessfully contested from Samalkha again last year. In his most recent election affidavit filed, he declared agriculture as his primary source of income, mentioned just one criminal case pending against him involving charges of cheating and forgery, and showed his assets as worth over Rs 3.86 crore. According to sources, Sikander runs a real estate business in Gurgaon. He is the Managing Director of the Mahira group of companies, seven projects of which are embroiled in controversies due to alleged irregularities. Of these, six are affordable housing projects. In 2021, the ED and Income Tax departments conducted joint raids at Chhoker's properties in Samalkha, Panipat, Hisar, Gurgaon and Chandigarh. In the raids, Sikander, his brother Vikas and 13 others were booked on charges of fraud in Gurgaon. According to the FIR registered at the time, the accused committed fraud in the pretext of developing an affordable housing project under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) on 10 acres of land in Gurgaon. In another case, the Haryana Department of Town and Country Planning in July 2023 ordered the cancellation of the licence of Mahira Home Private Limited and the registration of a criminal case against the realtor for submitting forged building plans for a project. Following the order, a complaint was filed by Gurgaon's District Town Planner (Enforcement) and an FIR was registered against the company, its directors, associated companies and its authorised signatory, for submitting forged and fabricated plans in 2022 to obtain its license, and repeating the forgery in 2023 for an additional licence. In July 2023, the ED also found four luxury vehicles, jewellery worth Rs 14.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh cash during raids on properties owned by Chhoker. Raids were conducted at Chhoker's house in Samalkha, office and fuel station in Panipat, and properties in Hisar, Gurgaon and Chandigarh. Following the raids, the ED registered a PMLA case against Chhoker. In May 2024, a Gurgaon court denied him anticipatory bail in the case. Days before the Assembly polls last October, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the ED and the Haryana Police to arrest Chhoker if he failed to surrender within 24 hours. Though there was a warrant for his arrest, Chhoker filed his nomination papers and was actively campaigning in Haryana.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Dramatic chase, scuffle with officials: How ED nabbed Congress ex-MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker from Delhi hotel
High-octane action unfolded at a five-star hotel in the national capital on Sunday night as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested former Haryana Congress MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker in connection with an alleged money laundering scam worth Rs 1,500 crore. In a video released by the agency on Tuesday, ED officials can be seen nabbing Chhoker and pinning him to the ground as he attempts to escape towards the exit of the Shangrila Hotel in New Delhi. He was zeroed in to be at the location with his bodyguard and a friend based on an intel, the ED said in a statement. The case against Chhoker, a close aide of former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, pertains to alleged irregularities in the allotment of flats, houses, and plots by his real estate companies in Gurgaon. Watch: The chase Soon after receiving the intel, ED officials including Joint Director (Gurugram Zone) Navaneet Aggrawal reached the Delhi hotel. Realising the threat of arrest, Chhoker and his bodyguard are said to have started running towards the exit leading to a chase before Aggarwal and his team managed to catch and pin him to the ground. During the scuffle, the former MLA tried to hit and hurt the officers and hotel staff. 'Chhoker attempted to run from personal detention of IO and later also from the car several times by hurting others but couldn't succeed,' the ED said in a statement with the video. #JUSTIN: CCTV footage: The ED has arrested Congress's former Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker from a five-star hotel in connection with an alleged money laundering scam worth Rs 1,500 crore. @IndianExpress — Mahender Singh Manral (@mahendermanral) May 6, 2025 Later, Chhoker was taken to the ED office. Case against Chhoker The former MLA and his firms allegedly amassed over Rs 616 crore from investors but failed to deliver the allotments. In March, the ED had issued a provisional order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It had also attached about three acres of agricultural land, 2,487 sq m of commercial plots, and eight residential flats located in Delhi, Faridabad, and Panipat. Assets worth Rs 44.55 crore linked to Chhoker, his sons Vikas and Sikandar, and their company Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd were auctioned by the ED in March. While Vikas is absconding, Sikandar is out on bail in the case.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
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.
