Chandigarh, Jan 18: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought a formal plan from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to establish a high-powered committee aimed at returning seized properties to over 2,000 homebuyers in Gurugram. The proposed panel, expected to be led by a former High Court judge, would streamline the process of verifying and settling claims for flats currently entangled in money laundering proceedings.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Neerja Kulwant Kalson issued the directive following a petition by an aggrieved buyer with interests in Sector 37-D, 92, and 95 projects.
These developments involve lands across Basai, Gadoli Kalan, Hayatpur, and Wazipur villages. The court’s intervention addresses the plight of thousands left in financial uncertainty after their homes were provisionally attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“The enactment vests power upon the Special Court for restoration of property during pendency of trial,” the Bench noted, acknowledging that the massive scale of the dispute requires a structured judicial oversight mechanism.
The assets in question are linked to M/s Ramprashta Promoters and Developers Private Limited. The ED first issued attachment orders on July 11, 2025, which were later confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority in December.
To resolve the deadlock, the petitioner’s legal team, including Viraj Gandhi, Harit Narang, and Adarsh Dubey, cited the 2016 Restoration of Confiscated Property Rules. They argued these rules allow the court to release assets to rightful owners even while the primary trial continues.
Lokesh Narang, senior panel counsel for the ED, admitted the administrative difficulty of dealing with such a high volume of individual claimants. He proposed that expanding the current legal proceedings to include a dedicated restoration committee would be the most effective solution for all parties involved.
The Bench agreed with this assessment in its records, stating, “Since the homebuyers are large in number, more than about 2,000, it would be appropriate to constitute a restoration committee under the Chairmanship of a former Judge of this Court.”
The Enforcement Directorate has been given until February 10 to file an affidavit confirming its stance on the committee’s formation.
This next hearing will determine if the court will officially broaden the case’s scope to provide a collective resolution for the families impacted by the Ramprashta project seizures.
