High-rise drama as cash bags flung during ED raid in Mohali

A dramatic incident unfolded during a raid at Western Towers, a high-rise in Mohali, on Thursday. Occupants of a flat allegedly threw two cash-laden bags from the ninth floor as Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams arrived. Bundles of Rs 500 notes scattered in the air, landing on the ground and drawing crowds. Videos of the Cash Rain went viral, prompting heavy police deployment.

As of Thursday evening, no arrests have been reported. The ED is still ascertaining the exact value of the seized cash and continuing its scrutiny of documents seized from the raided premises.

It happened during the ED's simultaneous searches at 12 locations in Mohali and Chandigarh.

ED's operation has sent ripples through Punjab's real estate sector and political corridors. ED teams conducted simultaneous searches at around a dozen locations in Mohali, Chandigarh and Patiala. The raids, carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), target an alleged Rs 100-crore land licence fraud involving fraudulent Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions from the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA). 

ED sources say the probe centres on builders and developers linked to the Suntec City project, Ajay Sehgal, ABS Townships Pvt Ltd, Altus Builders, Dhir Constructions and their associates. Investigators allege that these entities secured CLU licences through misrepresentation and collusion, bypassing urban planning norms. They then launched housing and infrastructure projects in areas such as New Chandigarh, collecting hundreds of crores from investors and homebuyers, only to default on external development charges and licence fees payable to GMADA, causing heavy losses to the state exchequer.

The most sensational moment came during a raid at Flat 906 in Western Towers, a high-rise residential society in Kharar, Mohali. Eyewitnesses and viral videos showed two bags stuffed with Rs 500 denomination notes being flung from the ninth floor shortly after ED teams arrived. One bag burst open on impact, scattering bundles across the society grounds. A second bag was reportedly picked up by a man in a white vehicle who fled the scene. ED officials quickly cordoned off the area and recovered the cash. The flat is linked to one Nitin Gohal, an IT professional now under the agency's scanner.

ED sources claimed that Gohal acted as a key facilitator, helping defaulting builders evade regulatory action by arranging 'political protection'. Officials have identified him as a close associate of Rajbir Singh Ghuman, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Searches were also conducted at premises connected to Gohal and his relatives, including one named Veer Davinder, according to opposition claims.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, addressing the media during his 'Shukrana Yatra' in Amritsar, firmly distanced his government from the operation. "We have no relation with these raids. The ED officials have come to raid the company of someone there and are doing their work," he said, describing the matter as related to old accounts and private business dealings between individuals.

The denial did little to douse the political fire. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia took to X, accusing the AAP government of shielding 'kattar fraudsters', Crores of money, 500 notes flying in the air. Money belongs to whom, OSD CM Mann Rajbir Singh. ED raids on CM Bhagwant Mann's close aide, OSD Rajbir Ghuman's close aides and relatives Nitin, Veer Davinder," Majithia posted in Punjabi, describing the cash-throwing incident as evidence of a larger hawala racket. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa also highlighted the proximity of the raids to the Chief Minister's office.

GMADA, responsible for planned growth around Chandigarh, has previously faced allegations of lax oversight in CLU approvals. Developers allegedly diverted investor funds meant for project development while failing to pay dues, leaving buyers in limbo and the authority out of pocket. The ED is now tracing the proceeds of crime, including alleged hawala transactions routed through middlemen for political cover.

This is not the first time central agencies have acted against politically connected figures in Punjab. Over the past few weeks, the ED has intensified probes into several cases involving real estate and alleged corruption. With the state slated for assembly polls in early 2027, the timing has sharpened accusations of a witch-hunt by the Centre against the AAP-led government.