Punjab govt moves High Court against ED raid at GMADA office, seeks return of 'important documents'
PTC Web Desk: The Punjab Government has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s raid at the GMADA office, calling the search illegal and seeking the return of documents and electronic records taken by the agency.
In its petition, the state government has alleged that the ED raid was completely illegal and claimed that the central agency took away several important documents during the search. The government has sought directions for the return of the documents and has also requested that the ED be restrained from taking any action on the basis of the material seized during the raid.
The state government sought an urgent hearing on the matter. The High Court has scheduled the petition for hearing tomorroww.
Notably, the move came after ED teams conducted an extended search at the GMADA premises. According to reports, the operation continued for more than 50 hours, with eight senior GMADA officials remaining at the office during the search.
The ED's Jalandhar zone teams reportedly examined and copied official records, scanned GMADA servers, computers and other electronic devices and cloned the mobile phones of officials. The agency also took several documents and electronic devices from the premises.
GMADA is responsible for a range of urban development-related functions, including town planning, implementation of master plans, land acquisition, infrastructure development and allotment of residential and commercial plots.
Also Read | ED alleges Rs 10,000 crore GMADA land irregularity; Satyendra Jain, Manish Sisodia named in probe
ED makes allegations against AAP leaders
In a statement, the ED alleged that AAP leaders Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia had been holding unofficial meetings with GMADA officials regarding master plans and site auctions. The agency further alleged that important decisions relating to fresh auctions, land acquisition and compensation were taken informally on Jain's instructions.
The ED's allegations have not been accepted by the Aam Aadmi Party.
The AAP rejected the claims involving Jain and Sisodia, describing the allegations as false, baseless and politically motivated. The party said neither leader had any role in GMADA's projects, functioning or official matters, and maintained that their involvement in Punjab was political.
Meanwhile, ED's Additional Solicitor General of India, Satya Pal Jain, opposed the Gunjab government's move in the High Court. He alleged that the state government was attempting to protect the main accused in the case and claimed that the matter involved transactions worth hundreds of crores, including alleged hawala transactions.
- PTC NEWS
