Ex-IAS officer Mohinder Singh evades ED summons in PMLA case

LUCKNOW Retired IAS officer Mohinder Singh did not turn up at the Enforcement Directorate’s Lucknow office on Wednesday after summons were issued by the agency for questioning in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case in connection with the fraud committed by M/s Hacienda Projects Private Limited (HPPL), its promoters and directors and related entities, as well as persons against homebuyers of ‘Lotus 300’ projects to the tune of ₹426 crore.

The retired officer neither turned up nor was there any communication from his side. The ED will issue another notice to Singh to appear before the ED to record his statements and cooperate in the investigation, said a senior official.

He said the agency had initiated investigation based on directions of the Allahabad high court in 2019 and on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), New Delhi, against M/s Hacienda Projects Pvt Ltd, its director, officials and others. The building firm was accused of diverting and siphoning off hard-earned money of investors and home buyers and ultimately not providing them the promised flats when the retired IAS officer was the CEO of Noida Authority, during the Bahujan Samaj Party government between 2007 and 2012.

On September 17 and 18, the ED had recovered cash as well as diamond and gold jewellery worth ₹42.56 crore while carrying out simultaneous search operations at 18 locations in UP, Delhi, Chandigarh and Goa in the case. The searches were carried out at the Chandigarh residence of the retired officer.