The Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized four luxury cars valued at Rs 4 crore, jewellery worth Rs 14.5 lakh, and Rs 4.5 lakh in cash during searches at companies owned and controlled by Congress’s Haryana MLA Dharam Singh Chhoker. The searches were part of a money laundering investigation related to alleged fraud involving home buyers.
Chhoker, a 59-year-old two-time legislator from Samalkha in Panipat district, is the owner and promoter of the Mahira Group along with his sons, Sikander Singh and Vikas Chhoker.
On July 25, the ED conducted search operations at 11 locations in Samalkha, Gurugram, and other areas belonging to Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd (now Mahira Infratech Pvt. Ltd) and other companies of Mahira Group controlled by Chhoker. Chhoker, an MLA from Samalkha constituency, and his family are being investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, as per an ED spokesperson.
The directors and promoters of Mahira Group, including Dharam Singh Chhoker, Sikander Singh, and Vikas Chhoker, were absent during the ED search and have not cooperated with the investigation. Freezing orders were issued for offices and bank accounts of Mahira Group during the search operations.
The money laundering case originated from a complaint filed by Gurugram Police against Chhoker and Sai Aaina Farms Pvt Ltd for cheating and forgery. The company allegedly collected Rs 360 crore from 1,497 home buyers under the affordable housing scheme but failed to deliver the promised homes in Gurugram Sector 68. Home buyers have been protesting against Mahira Group for the past year seeking the delivery of the promised houses.
Investigations revealed that the directors of Mahira Group diverted home buyers’ money to personal gains through fake construction expenditures and loans to other group entities. It is estimated that Rs 107.5 crore was siphoned off from M/s Sai Aaina Farms Pvt. Ltd alone. Investigations into financial transactions of other affordable housing projects are ongoing.
Raids were conducted at Chhoker’s house in Samalkha, his office and fuel station in Panipat, and properties in Hisar, Gurgaon, and other locations.
Chhoker, who won the 2019 Haryana Legislative Assembly polls from the Samalkha seat, had no criminal cases pending against him in his election affidavit. However, the recent ED raids revealed assets worth over Rs 1 crore, similar to those declared in the affidavit.
Chhoker’s son, Sikander, manages a real estate business in Gurgaon and serves as the Managing Director of Mahira Group, which is involved in several controversial projects, including six affordable housing projects.
In a previous incident in 2021, the ED and Income Tax departments raided Chhoker’s properties, leading to fraud charges against Sikander, Vikas, and others in Gurgaon.
The Haryana DTCP cancelled the licence of Mahira Home Private Limited and filed a criminal case against the company for submitting forged building plans for a project in Gurgaon. An FIR was registered against the company and its directors for submitting forged plans in 2022 and 2023 to obtain licenses.
