The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a raid on the residence and farmhouse of former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda in Gurugram on Thursday as part of a money‑laundering investigation tied to alleged real‑estate fraud.
The searches were linked to a case against the realty company Vatika Limited, which is accused of enticing investors with promises of timely possession, assured returns, lease rentals and the execution of sale deeds. Four of Vatika’s projects are under investigation, with the company reportedly collecting Rs 248.46 crore from 661 investors while failing to hand over possession or deliver the promised sale deeds.
The ED raided Kanda’s home, farmhouse and office to track the money trail, as authorities suspect that funds diverted from the real‑estate firm were transferred to companies connected to the former minister. Kanda, 60, was previously raided by the ED in August 2023 in a separate money‑laundering probe.
Kanda, a former MLA of the Haryana Lokhit Party from Sirsa, served as the state’s minister for home, industries and urban local bodies. He also presides over the party he founded. In 2023, a Delhi court acquitted him in the high‑profile suicide case involving Geetika Sharma, a former air hostess of the MDLR Airlines company he established.
