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ED Attaches Three More Patnitop Hotels Under Anti-Money Laundering Act

The order builds on January’s action by targeting Rs 15.78 crore in suspected laundering proceeds from mountain hotels

File Photo: IANS

Overview

  • The Enforcement Directorate issued provisional orders on June 27 to attach Hotel Pine Heritage, Hotel Dream Land and Hotel Shahi Santoor under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
  • The combined value of the three hotels and their generated income totals Rs 15.78 crore, the ED said in a statement.
  • The probe traces back to a CBI FIR alleging hotel owners and Patnitop Development Authority officials colluded on residential-to-commercial conversions, excess construction and operations in forbidden forest and agricultural zones.
  • In January, the ED had attached two other Patnitop properties—Trinetra Resorts and Green Orchid—worth Rs 14.93 crore in the same case.
  • Patnitop, located 47 km from Udhampur and 112 km from Jammu, is a year-round tourist hub whose rapid real estate growth has prompted scrutiny over regulatory lapses.