Mohali, May 9 -- The Enforcement Directorate's (ED) crackdown on two major real estate groups in Punjab entered its second day on Friday, with searches expanding across multiple locations in Mohali, New Chandigarh and Chandigarh as part of an ongoing money laundering probe linked to fraud with investors and illegal change of land use (CLU) approvals. ED officials said raids were conducted at 12 additional locations in Mohali and Chandigarh, including the premises of several builders and alleged liaisoners Nitin Gohal and Pritpal Singh Dhindsa. Officials claimed that both Gohal and Dhindsa were close to a senior officer in the Punjab housing and urban development department and acted as middlemen for facilitating clearances and official work for real estate developers. The agency had launched search and seizure operations on Thursday against two real estate groups - Suntec City (Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society) and Altus Space Builders Private Limited - over allegations of fraudulent CLU approvals and cheating of landowners and buyers. On Day 1, the agency had concluded searches at 10 other locations linked to the Suntec City project, its promoter Ajay Sehgal, ABS Townships, Altus Space Builders and Dhir Constructions. ED has so far confiscated Rs.1 crore from these locations during its searches under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The raids had triggered a controversy involving Punjabcabinet minister and AAP state president Aman Arora, who, according to ED, shares close ties with Gaurav Dhir of Dhir Constructions. However, the minister denied any involvement during a press conference in Chandigarh, stating that although Dhir was his friend, he had no connection with his business dealings. Opposition parties have alleged that Nitin Gohal, who is among those being raided, is "close to an aide of chief minister Bhagwant Mann", a charge denied by the CM. The ED probe stems from two FIRs registered by Punjab Police in 2022 and 2024 against the two realty firms for allegedly forging signatures to obtain the CLU. According to ED sleuths, Suresh Kumar Bajaj and Ajay Sehgal of the Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society allegedly prepared forged consent letters pertaining to 30.5 acres of land belonging to 15 landowners. Using these fake documents, the accused entities secured CLU approval from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) for developing the Suntec City mega housing project in New Chandigarh. The ED claimed that the consent letters contained forged signatures and thumb impressions of landowners. An FIR in the matter was registered at the Mullanpur police station in Mohali in 2022. Ajay Sehgal allegedly also developed the "La Canela" residential complex and the "District 7" commercial project, both in New Chandigarh, using CLU approvals obtained through forged documents....