167 kanal and 15 marla land valued at Rs. 1,21,80,500 as per circle rate in 2011, was forcibly transferred
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In a major development, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Tuesday attached immovable assets on land valued at Rs 1.21 Crore as per circle rate in 2011, in connection with a money laundering case against RB Educational Trust.
The attachment, carried out under the orders of Deputy Director ED Jammu under PAO (03/2023) dated November 28, 2023, pertaining to land acquired by R B Educational Trust (RBET), an institution headed by Kanta Andotra, the wife of Choudhary Lal Singh and Chairperson of RBET.
This land pertained to part of DPS School Kathua, B.Ed College and Nursing College.
84 kanal and 9 marla land situated at village Karandi was acquired by R B Trust vide gift deed dated January 5, 2011; 48 kanal and 6 marla land situated at village Karandi was acquired by R B Trust vide gift deed dated January 7, 2011 while 35 kanal land was also acquired vide a separate gift deed dated January 7, 2011.
The ED’s investigation was initiated based on the FIR and chargesheet filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), CBI Jammu, against Kanta Andotra and Ravinder Singh, the then Patwari.
The probe uncovered that Choudhary Lal Singh, an ex-Minister and two-time ex-MP, along with his wife in collusion with revenue officers/officials, orchestrated the transfer of land measuring 167 Kanal and 15 Marlas. This land, valued at Rs. 1,21,80,500/- as per circle rate in 2011, was forcibly transferred. The copies of the attachment orders have been sent to all revenue officers including Deputy Commissioner and concerned Tehsildar.
Former Minister Choudhary Lal Singh was also arrested by the sleuths of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from Jammu on November 8 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Earlier in October, the ED had conducted searches in Jammu and its adjoining areas as part of a money laundering probe against their educational trust in connection with alleged irregularities in land purchase to set up the trust.
The federal agency had raided about eight premises in Jammu, Kathua and Punjab’s Pathankot on October 17 in the case against RB Educational Trust.
