Chandigarh: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, has arrested former Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Pathankot, Kuldeep Singh, in connection with the alleged illegal transfer of 91.75 acres of village common land and subsequent illegal mining activities in the border district.
The arrest is understood to be a significant development in the money-laundering investigation into the alleged transfer of 734 kanals and one marla of shamlat land in Bhattian village, falling under Gol Gram Panchayat in Pathankot district in Punjab, to private individuals.
The case dates back to February 27, 2023, when Kuldeep Singh, who was then serving as District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) and holding additional charge as ADC (Development), allegedly passed an order in favour of private individuals in a long-pending land dispute, just a day before his retirement from government service.
The state Vigilance Bureau had subsequently registered a first information report (FIR) against Kuldeep Singh and other accused, alleging irregularities in the transfer of the valuable panchayat land.
The land, situated along the Ravi River and close to the international border with Pakistan, is believed to be rich in sand and other minerals.
The ED initiated its money-laundering investigation on the basis of the Vigilance Bureau FIR and subsequently expanded its probe into the alleged illegal excavation and transportation of sand and riverbed material from the disputed land.
In July 2026, the ED conducted searches at 16 premises linked to the case.
During the operations, the agency seized unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 1.75 crore and froze bank accounts containing approximately Rs 91.34 lakh. Several incriminating documents relating to alleged illegal mining activities were also recovered.
The searches covered premises linked to stone-crushing firms, including Shree Sai Stone Crusher and Screener and Shiv Shankar Stone Crusher, along with their associated entities and management personnel.
The investigation has also focused on the alleged financial transactions between mining operators and individuals connected with the disputed land transfer.
A recent report has highlighted alleged payments totalling Rs 20.70 lakh from accounts linked to a stone-crushing firm to the wife of the retired official.
(IANS)
