Mohali Land Case: Punjab IAS Officer Kanwal Preet Brar Questioned Again by ED Over Suntec City CLU Probe
Punjab-cadre IAS officer Kanwal Preet Brar appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jalandhar for the second time in just 10 days as investigators continued their money-laundering probe into alleged irregularities surrounding Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals for the Suntec City real-estate project in the Mohali area.
Brar, a 2007-batch IAS officer, reached the ED’s zonal office at around 10 a.m. on Thursday and was questioned for more than seven hours. Her latest appearance followed an earlier round of questioning on August 18, when the senior officer spent more than eight hours with the agency in connection with the case involving alleged forged consent documents and disputed land-use permissions.
Why Is Kanwal Preet Brar Being Questioned?
The ED’s investigation is focused on the process through which modified CLU permissions were allegedly obtained for the Suntec City project. Investigators are examining documents submitted to government authorities, the administrative trail behind the approvals and the alleged use of forged consent letters relating to land in the Greater Mohali region.
Brar’s connection to the matter relates to her earlier posting as Director, Town and Country Planning, in 2024. It was during this period that the modified CLU approval associated with the project was processed, putting her role in the administrative chain under examination by the investigating agency.
The repeated questioning is understood to be aimed at clarifying the approval process and establishing how the relevant documents moved through the government system. However, being summoned or questioned by an investigating agency does not, by itself, establish that an officer has committed an offence.
Brar Currently Holds Key Health Department Responsibilities
Kanwal Preet Brar is currently serving as Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, in the Punjab government. She is also holding responsibilities as Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Commissioner, Ayush.
Her present responsibilities are separate from the Town and Country Planning assignment that is relevant to the ED’s investigation. The agency’s questions concern the period when she was associated with the department handling town planning and land-use matters.
Brar’s second appearance indicates that investigators are still examining aspects of the government-side approval process and may require clarification or additional records concerning the disputed permissions.
What Is the Suntec City Land Case?
The underlying case centres on allegations concerning land in Palheri village in Mohali and the alleged submission of forged consent letters for obtaining CLU permissions. The matter originally emerged through a Punjab Police FIR that alleged offences including cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy.
The ED subsequently initiated a money-laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), examining whether the alleged proceeds generated through the real-estate transactions constituted proceeds of crime.
According to the agency’s prosecution complaint filed in July, the Suntec City project involved approximately 108.58 acres of agricultural land in the Greater Mohali area. The ED has alleged that forged consent letters were used in the process of obtaining the required CLU permissions.
The agency has estimated the alleged proceeds of crime linked to the wider case at nearly ₹348 crore.
Alleged Forged Consent Letters Under Scanner
One of the key aspects of the investigation is the alleged use of fabricated consent documents relating to landowners. According to the ED, the disputed documents concerned approximately 30.5 acres of land belonging to 15 landowners.
Such consent documents can form an important part of the administrative process when land-use permissions and related development approvals are sought. The agency is therefore examining whether the documents submitted in the Suntec City matter were genuine and whether the authorities processing the applications had been given accurate information.
Investigators are also looking at the sequence of approvals and the involvement of officials and private parties connected with the project. The central question is not merely whether the documents existed, but how they were used to secure permissions and whether the alleged irregularities eventually resulted in financial gains.
Punjab Police FIR Preceded ED Investigation
The ED probe is based on a scheduled offence investigated by Punjab Police. The FIR was registered in November 2022 in connection with allegations arising from the Suntec City project and related transactions.
Following the registration of the FIR, the ED took up the money-laundering angle under the PMLA. This allowed the agency to investigate not only the alleged underlying offences but also the suspected generation, movement, concealment or use of proceeds allegedly arising from those offences.
The agency has since examined financial transactions, project records, property-related documents and the administrative approvals connected with the development.
Ajay Sehgal Arrested by ED
The investigation has also resulted in action against Ajay Sehgal, who has been described in the case as a key person associated with the Suntec City project. Sehgal was the secretary of the Indian Cooperative House Building Society and was linked to the promotion of the project.
The ED arrested him in May 2026 as part of its money-laundering investigation. The agency has alleged that the project and related transactions were connected to the generation of substantial proceeds of crime.
A Mohali court later rejected Sehgal’s bail plea in August, meaning the legal proceedings surrounding the alleged money-laundering offences remain active.
ED Examining Government Approval Trail
Brar’s latest questioning comes at a stage when the ED appears to be focusing closely on the administrative side of the case. Investigators are examining how the applications for modified CLU permissions were processed, which documents were submitted and what scrutiny was carried out before approvals were granted.
The role of officials who were associated with the relevant departments during the period under investigation is also being examined. Brar’s position as Director, Town and Country Planning, in 2024 is therefore an important part of the timeline being reconstructed by investigators.
The agency’s questioning is expected to help it understand the decision-making process and the records available with the department at the time.
Who Is IAS Officer Kanwal Preet Brar?
Kanwal Preet Brar is a 2007-batch IAS officer of the Punjab cadre and one of the senior officers currently holding important responsibilities in the state administration. She was born in 1968 and holds M.A. and M.Phil. degrees in Economics.
Over the course of her administrative career, Brar has handled several assignments within the Punjab government. Her postings have included responsibilities in departments dealing with health, town planning and other areas of state administration.
Her tenure as Director, Town and Country Planning, in 2024 has now come under the ED’s scrutiny because of its connection with the processing of the modified CLU permission related to the Suntec City project.
Second Appearance in 10 Days
The latest questioning marks Brar’s second appearance before the ED in a short span. She was first questioned on August 18 for more than eight hours and returned to the agency’s Jalandhar office on Thursday, August 27, for another session lasting more than seven hours.
The frequency and duration of the questioning underline the agency’s continuing examination of the matter, particularly the documentary and administrative trail surrounding the disputed land-use permissions.
It remains important, however, to distinguish between an investigation and a finding of guilt. The ED’s questions and allegations are part of an ongoing probe, while any eventual determination of criminal liability will depend on the evidence and the outcome of the legal proceedings.
What Happens Next in the Mohali Land Case?
The ED’s investigation into the Suntec City project is continuing, with officials examining the alleged forged consent letters, CLU approvals, real-estate transactions and the movement of suspected proceeds of crime.
Brar’s second appearance could be followed by further requests for records or clarification as investigators piece together the sequence of events surrounding the project. The agency is also continuing its broader investigation into other individuals, entities and transactions linked to the alleged ₹348-crore proceeds of crime.
For now, the key development is that Kanwal Preet Brar has been questioned twice by the ED in connection with the case, while the agency continues to examine the government approval process that resulted in the disputed CLU permissions for the Suntec City project.
