The duo are identified as close associates of top leaders of the state Congress, sources added.
Following FIRs, complaints and field verification reports, the ED initiated a PMLA investigation and conducted a search on July 4 at Jai Maa Jawala Stone Crusher in Adhwani village, Jwalamukhi Tehsil, Kangra, along with properties linked to Gian Chand and others. Sources indicate that the searches turned up damning evidence pointing to extensive illegal mining activities in Himachal Pradesh.
According to sources, preliminary findings describe Gian Chand as a locally influential businessman and a politically connected individual affiliated with the District Congress Committee. He is known to have close links with Congress leaders and is identified as the beneficial owner of Jai Maa Jawala Stone Crusher, sources said. The ED investigation has highlighted significant discrepancies even though the stone crusher has a valid licence.
The revelations underscore serious allegations of financial irregularities and misuse of political influence, implicating people with ties to the ruling party in activities detrimental to state interests.
The discrepancies are the following: Mining is carried out in the river bed itself. Secondly, on ED's insistence, local Mining officials were summoned, who also conducted a survey and verified that rampant illegal mining was going on outside the authorized area, sources said. Third, large-scale spot sales of mined material were taking place. Fourthly, material illegally extracted from other areas is also crushed and sold without valid transport permits and large cash transactions are carried out on a daily basis.
Fifth, rampant mining has destroyed the fragile ecosystem. Comparison with historical NRSA maps will show that this unit alone has done illegal mining worth hundreds of crores, sources said. Sixth, mining activity also takes place at night.
The ED is known to have uncovered evidence of cash transactions, illegal cash deposits of over Rs 8 million in a single account and utilization of cash in land transactions.
According to sources, Gian Chand and his family have also received multiple mid-level tenders for construction of roads etc. from the state government. “These tenders are won with benami names. Illegally mined material is used in these tenders but fake notes are generated in the name of benami shell entities to siphon off illegal profits. Local officials approve the works without any quality control and provide signed blank inspection reports to Gian Chand. Also, Gian Chand and Rajeev Singh (brother of Himachal CM) have acquired adjacent properties for illegal mining,” sources said.
Sources further said that lower level government officials are actively conspiring with the suspects to turn a blind eye to this rampant exploitation of the area, which is responsible for disturbing the ecological balance of the area. This ecologically sensitive area is now prone to landslides due to unscientific exploitation of the land.
In the investigations being carried out by civil, liquor and IT contractors of Himachal Pradesh: Prabhat Chand, his son-in-law Saurabh Katoch and Ajay Kumar are handling huge amounts of cash and unaccounted transactions of top state Congress leaders and their families. A company called APR Construction Company is suspected of being involved in major receipt suppression, sources said.
According to sources, Ajay Kumar and Parbhat Kumar were identified as beneficiaries of a land acquisition deal involving Himachal Road Transport Corporation. The allegations suggest that the land acquisition transaction may have been an attempt to defraud the government, and concerns were raised that the acquisition was significantly overvalued, the sources said.
“The Kangra Central Cooperative Bank is implementing a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. The key person who facilitated the cash deal is Vicky Handa, a renowned jeweler from Hamirpur and she was suspected of being involved in this alleged OTS fraud scheme,” sources said.
Following FIRs, complaints and field verification reports, the ED initiated a PMLA investigation and conducted a search on July 4 at Jai Maa Jawala Stone Crusher in Adhwani village, Jwalamukhi Tehsil, Kangra, along with properties linked to Gian Chand and others. Sources indicate that the searches turned up damning evidence pointing to extensive illegal mining activities in Himachal Pradesh.
According to sources, preliminary findings describe Gian Chand as a locally influential businessman and a politically connected individual affiliated with the District Congress Committee. He is known to have close links with Congress leaders and is identified as the beneficial owner of Jai Maa Jawala Stone Crusher, sources said. The ED investigation has highlighted significant discrepancies even though the stone crusher has a valid licence.
The revelations underscore serious allegations of financial irregularities and misuse of political influence, implicating people with ties to the ruling party in activities detrimental to state interests.
The discrepancies are the following: Mining is carried out in the river bed itself. Secondly, on ED's insistence, local Mining officials were summoned, who also conducted a survey and verified that rampant illegal mining was going on outside the authorized area, sources said. Third, large-scale spot sales of mined material were taking place. Fourthly, material illegally extracted from other areas is also crushed and sold without valid transport permits and large cash transactions are carried out on a daily basis.
Fifth, rampant mining has destroyed the fragile ecosystem. Comparison with historical NRSA maps will show that this unit alone has done illegal mining worth hundreds of crores, sources said. Sixth, mining activity also takes place at night.
The ED is known to have uncovered evidence of cash transactions, illegal cash deposits of over Rs 8 million in a single account and utilization of cash in land transactions.
According to sources, Gian Chand and his family have also received multiple mid-level tenders for construction of roads etc. from the state government. “These tenders are won with benami names. Illegally mined material is used in these tenders but fake notes are generated in the name of benami shell entities to siphon off illegal profits. Local officials approve the works without any quality control and provide signed blank inspection reports to Gian Chand. Also, Gian Chand and Rajeev Singh (brother of Himachal CM) have acquired adjacent properties for illegal mining,” sources said.
Sources further said that lower level government officials are actively conspiring with the suspects to turn a blind eye to this rampant exploitation of the area, which is responsible for disturbing the ecological balance of the area. This ecologically sensitive area is now prone to landslides due to unscientific exploitation of the land.
In the investigations being carried out by civil, liquor and IT contractors of Himachal Pradesh: Prabhat Chand, his son-in-law Saurabh Katoch and Ajay Kumar are handling huge amounts of cash and unaccounted transactions of top state Congress leaders and their families. A company called APR Construction Company is suspected of being involved in major receipt suppression, sources said.
According to sources, Ajay Kumar and Parbhat Kumar were identified as beneficiaries of a land acquisition deal involving Himachal Road Transport Corporation. The allegations suggest that the land acquisition transaction may have been an attempt to defraud the government, and concerns were raised that the acquisition was significantly overvalued, the sources said.
“The Kangra Central Cooperative Bank is implementing a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme. The key person who facilitated the cash deal is Vicky Handa, a renowned jeweler from Hamirpur and she was suspected of being involved in this alleged OTS fraud scheme,” sources said.
