CHANDIGARH, May 16 -- The recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on real estate developers and alleged liaison agents in Mohali and Kharar have intensified scrutiny into controversial change of land use (CLU) approvals granted for Suntec City, a mega housing project in New Chandigarh. Official records indicate a pattern of alleged forged consent letters, disputed land ownership, and irregular regulatory clearances. Following the ED action, the Punjab department of housing and urban development has initiated a fresh review of approvals granted to The Indian Co-operative House Building Society Ltd for developing the residential colony spread across Palheri and Rehmanpur villages in Mohali district. On May 8 and 9, the ED raided 12 locations across Mohali, New Chandigarh, and Chandigarh as part of an ongoing money-laundering probe. Searches targeted premises linked to builders and alleged liaison agents Nitin Gohal and Pritpal Singh Dhindsa. The agency launched operations against two real estate groups-Suntec City, promoted by The Indian Co-operative House Building Society Limited, and Altus Space Builders Private Limited-over allegations of fraudulent CLU approvals and the cheating of landowners and buyers. According to official documents accessed by Hindustan Times, the promoter applied in 2014 for CLU permission for nearly 123 acres. However, subsequent revenue verification reports reportedly revealed that the society owned only 30% of the total land for which permission had been sought. Requesting anonymity, a senior officer in the housing and urban development department confirmed that the role of officials involved in granting these permissions and licences is now under examination. Records show that while the promoter sought permission for 123.072 acres, ownership verification covered only limited portions. A substantial part of the remaining land was backed through "irrevocable consent agreements" submitted by the promoter. The controversy erupted when landowners from Palheri village lodged complaints alleging that forged signatures were used on these letters. In October 2023, the department referred the matter to the Mohali senior superintendent of police, stating it lacked the technical expertise to verify signatures and required a police probe. Despite the mounting controversy, the project received initial CLU approval for 108.58 acres in June 2016, with a layout plan approved in November 2016. In a major setback, the Punjab government-with approval from chief minister Bhagwant Mann-revoked CLU permissions for 30.49 acres in August 2024. This reduced the effective area to 92.68 acres, though the project remains eligible under 2020 rules that lowered the minimum area requirement for New Chandigarh colonies from 100 to 50 acres. The matter also came up in the Punjab and Haryana high court. In August 2024, the Bench observed that the Punjab Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) had registered the project "de hors (not included)" the fact that promoters failed to submit mandatory joint development agreements. According to the ED, promoters Suresh Kumar Bajaj and Ajay Sehgal allegedly prepared forged consent letters for 30.5 acres belonging to 15 landowners. The agency claims the society collected over Rs.150 crore from members without executing sale deeds, using these proceeds to develop the La Canela and District 7 projects, where units were sold despite being built on the basis of forged documents. When HT tried to contact Bajaj and Sehgal, their phones were switched off. WhatsApp messages went unanswered, too....