MOHALI: A special court has placed realtor Ajay Sehgal in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for three days as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged money laundering case tied to the Suntech City project.
The court granted the ED’s request for extended custodial interrogation, noting that new facts had come to light during the investigation, necessitating more in-depth questioning of the accused. Sehgal will be in ED custody from June 27 to June 29.
The money laundering investigation originates from an FIR lodged at the Mullanpur police station on September 17, 2024, under allegations of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The ED accuses Sehgal and others of developing the Suntech City project in Rahman and Palheri villages in New Chandigarh, generating illicit proceeds of approximately Rs 172.3 crore.
The ED reported to the court that while the project spans 108.5 acres, the developers supposedly only owned 43 acres. Furthermore, they alleged that forged signatures and thumbprints of farmers were utilized to secure change of land use (CLU) permissions for the excess land.
Sehgal was previously arrested on May 22, 2026, and underwent a five-day interrogation. However, new statements from co-accused individuals and witnesses have revealed additional critical information. The agency contended that more custody is necessary for confrontational questioning, tracing the alleged financial trail, and understanding the involvement of other parties.
The defense counsel opposed the request, claiming that Sehgal had not committed any offense and that further custody was unnecessary. They argued that the names of farmers claiming forgery do not appear in CLU documents and that all pertinent records are already with the investigating authority.
After considering both arguments, the court determined that further interrogation was warranted due to the recent developments. It found the ED’s request reasonable for uncovering information related to the alleged proceeds, their supposed misdirection, and the timeline of events concerning the case.
