The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at eight locations across Punjab and Chandigarh as part of a Rs 95 crore money laundering probe involving the Phagwara-based Golden Sandhar Sugar Mill, formerly known as Wahid Sandhar Sugars Limited, along with associated individuals and entities, reported Hindustan Times.
Searches were carried out at the sugar mill’s premises in Phagwara, a residence in Khurampur village, and a gym in Phagwara owned by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Jarnail Singh Wahid. Wahid was formerly the co-owner of the mill with UK-based NRI Sukhbir Singh Sandhar, who has not returned to India since a Vigilance Bureau (VB) FIR was filed in the case.
The Enforcement Directorate’s Jalandhar unit is conducting searches at eight locations across the state of Punjab and Chandigarh in connection with money laundering investigation against Wahid Sandhar Sugars Ltd and related entities and persons: Officials
ED initiated…
— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2025
Wahid, who also served as chairman of Punjab Markfed, was associated as Managing Director of the mill. Currently, the sugar mill is being operated by Rana Sugar Mills.
The ED launched its investigation based on an FIR filed in September 2023 against Jarnail Singh Wahid, his wife Rupinder Kaur, son Sandeep Singh, and nine others under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.
An ED official said the Punjab government had allotted 31.2 acres of land on lease to Jagatjit Singh Sugar Mills in 1933 for 99 years on certain terms and conditions that it would not be transferable and mortgaged without having approval from the state government, as per the news report.
“In 2000, Oswal agro mills limited, a co-company of Jagatjit Singh Sugar mills signed a pact with Wahid-Sandhar mills and sublet the lease to it. However, the Wahid Sandhar Sugars limited after acquiring the land breached the conditions and mortgaged and sold the chunks of land,” an ED official said.
“During investigation, it came to fore that the Wahid sugar mill mortgaged 31.3 acre of land for Rs. 93.94 crore. Moreover, the mill administrators also sold 6 kanal and 4 marlas of government land in 2019,” the official stated.
The agency alleged that Wahid Sandhar Sugars Limited caused financial losses to the Punjab government and obtained undue benefits through illegal means.
Proceeds of crime generated out of such criminal activities are under investigation.
Following the FIR, the VB arrested Jarnail Singh Wahid, his wife Rupinder Kaur, and son Sandeep Singh on September 30, 2023, for allegedly misusing and mortgaging the leased land.
The VB also booked several individuals, including Parveen Chhiber (then Phagwara Tehsildar, now posted in Nakodar), Pawan Kumar (Naib Tehsildar), mill directors Sukhbir Singh Sandhar, Jarnail Singh Wahid, Sandeep Singh Wahid, Harvinderjit Singh Sandhar, Aman Sharma (Additional Director), Manjit Singh Dhillon, and Kuldeep Singh Sandhar.
Revenue officials were accused of colluding with mill representatives to create fraudulent revenue records, enabling the misuse of the land for financial gain.
The case was registered under IPC sections 166 (disobedience by public servant), 177 (providing false information), 210 (fraudulent decree), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), 420 (cheating), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), and relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
