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Chandigarh, November 13, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, has arrested former Pathankot Additional Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Singh in a money-laundering investigation into the alleged illegal transfer of 91.75 acres of village common land and subsequent illegal mining activities in the border district.
The case concerns the alleged transfer of 734 kanals and one marla of shamlat land in Bhattian village, under Gol Gram Panchayat, to private individuals. The land is located along the Ravi River, close to the international border with Pakistan, and is believed to contain sand and other minerals.
According to the allegations, Kuldeep Singh, then District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) holding additional charge as ADC (Development), passed an order favoring private individuals on February 27, 2023, a day before his retirement. The Punjab Vigilance Bureau subsequently registered an FIR against him and other accused over alleged irregularities in the transfer.
The ED launched its money-laundering probe on the basis of the Vigilance Bureau case and later expanded the investigation to alleged illegal excavation and transportation of sand and riverbed material from the disputed land.
In July 2026, the agency searched 16 premises linked to the case, seizing unaccounted cash worth Rs 1.75 crore and freezing bank accounts containing approximately Rs 91.34 lakh. It also recovered documents allegedly relating to illegal mining activities.
The searches covered premises linked to stone-crushing firms, including Shree Sai Stone Crusher and Screener and Shiv Shankar Stone Crusher, as well as their associated entities and management personnel.
The investigation has also examined financial transactions between mining operators and individuals linked to the disputed land transfer. A recent report highlighted alleged payments totaling Rs 20.70 lakh from accounts associated with a stone-crushing firm to the wife of the retired official.