The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested Raj Singh Gehlot, the owner of Gurugram-based Ambience Mall, on money laundering charges.
In August last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches on the premises linked to Mr. Gehlot, Ambience Limited, Ambience Developers and Infrastructure Private Limited and unknown officials of the Haryana Urban Development Authority, Town & Country Planning Department.
The CBI case was registered on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, following allegations that the mall had been constructed illegally on 18.98 acres by blatantly flouting the building by-laws and statutory provisions.
About a year ago, the ED had also searched the premises of Aman Hospitality Private Limited (AHPL), other companies of the Ambience group, and its directors in connection with a bank fraud case.
During the search at Mr. Gehlot’s residence, ₹16 lakh in cash and ₹24 lakh in foreign currency were found, as alleged.
The ED search was based on a First Information Report registered by the Jammu Anti-Corruption Bureau against AHPL and its directors for allegedly laundering money during the construction and development of the 5-star Leela Ambience Convention Hotel near the Yamuna Sports Complex in Delhi.
According to the ED, a sizeable portion of over ₹800 crore taken in loans from a consortium of banks for the hotel project was diverted and round-tripped via a web of companies. Some employees of the Ambience group and associates of Mr. Gehlot were allegedly appointed as directors or proprietors of such entities, but he was the “authorised signatory”.