ED raids former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda in Gurugram over real estate fraud
On Thursday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched the home, farmhouse, and office of Gopal Goyal Kanda, a former Haryana minister, in Gurugram. Officials said the searches are part of an investigation into money laundering linked to an alleged real estate fraud involving Vatika Limited. The ED’s office in Gurugram carried out the searches pursuant to Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
Officials said the operation began early and involved both state police and security personnel. The teams examined financial records, documents related to transfers between companies, and papers related to the projects under investigation. The case concerns four commercial projects carried out by Vatika Limited.
The agency said it had raised about Rs 248.46 crore from 661 investors, promising timely handover of the properties, guaranteed returns, lease rentals, and sale deeds. However, an official noted that possession had not yet been handed over and that the promised sale deeds are still incomplete. Officials also added that the searches at Kanda’s properties were intended to trace the movement of funds.
The agency stated that it suspects the money taken from the real estate company was forwarded to companies associated with the former minister. This follows searches by the same agency on August 25 at seven homes and businesses linked to Vatika Limited and its promoter-directors in the Delhi-NCR area.
The ED has taken action against Vatika Limited and its promoter-directors, Anil Bhalla, Gautam Bhalla, and Gaurav Bhalla, along with others. This step follows the Economic Offences Wing of the Delhi Police filing FIRs alleging fraud and failure to deliver the residential plots in question, along with other similar offences. In August, the agency obtained documents, digital devices, audited financial statements, and accounting records. It also seized or placed under freeze assets amounting to approximately Rs 33 crore, comprising three luxury cars, jewellery, bank accounts and securities.
The ED said it had identified a pattern in transactions related to the Vatika India Next and Vatika India Next-2 projects. The agency said it received about Rs 260.30 crore from complainants between 2010 and 2012 but supplied only plots worth about Rs 120 crore. In some cases, the plots promised were not delivered by the agreed deadlines. Officials said the searches carried out on Thursday were linked to the commercial projects under investigation and the suspected transfer of funds to companies associated with Kanda.
Kanda previously held the position of MLA for Sirsa and is currently the president of the Haryana Lokhit Party. He previously served as a minister in Haryana for home, industries, and urban local bodies. In the 2024 Assembly election, he was defeated by Gokul Setia, a Congress candidate. In August 2023, the ED also searched properties associated with him as part of a separate money-laundering inquiry.
In 2023, a court in Delhi freed him in the matter involving the suicide of Geetika Sharma, a former air hostess with MDLR Airlines that he set up. Kanda or his legal team could not be contacted for comment. Authorities said the investigation is still ongoing.
