Arrest Made in Panchkula Land Scam
Joginder Sharma, District Revenue Officer (DRO) with the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), was arrested by the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB) on July 6, 2026, in connection with the alleged illegal sale of land belonging to the Pearl Group in Panchkula district. He was produced before a Panchkula court on Tuesday, which remanded him to seven days of police custody.
Allegations of Benefitting from Land Transaction
The vigilance bureau alleged that Sharma was one of the beneficiaries of the land transaction and played a key role in facilitating the sale of property that was under a legal embargo. Opposing the bureau’s plea for police remand, Sharma’s counsel, Deepanshu Bansal, argued before the court that the arrest violated constitutional and statutory safeguards relating to personal liberty.
Details of the Land and Restrictions
According to the SV&ACB, the case pertains to approximately 141 kanals of land in Shahpur village of Raipur Rani that belonged to the Pearl Group. The land was under restrictions on sale imposed pursuant to directions of the Supreme Court and investigating agencies following investigations into the PACL group.
Collusion with Tehsildar and Patwari
The bureau alleged that Sharma, in collusion with then Raipur Rani Tehsildar Vikram Singla, facilitated the removal of restrictions on the land. Patwari Narendra Kumar had reportedly submitted a report in 2025 stating that the land was free from any stay despite the existing prohibition. Thereafter, two additional Roznamcha reports were allegedly recorded, paving the way for release of the stay, mutation of inheritance and subsequent sale of nearly 90 acres.
Previous Arrests and CBI Involvement
The vigilance bureau stated that Patwari Narendra Kumar was arrested earlier and sent to judicial custody by an Ambala court on June 22. The investigation further revealed that the CBI had, through a communication dated June 9, 2015, informed the Haryana Revenue Department that PACL had purchased properties using investors’ funds and that 97 properties in Panchkula were among those whose sale had been frozen.
Sale Deed Executed in Favour of Cousin
Despite these restrictions, Baldev Kaur executed a sale deed of the 141-kanal land in favour of Naveen, stated to be Sharma’s first cousin, for Rs 1 crore in October 2025. Within days, Naveen allegedly sold the land through four separate sale deeds worth a total of Rs 5.80 crore.
Money Trail and Recovery
The SV&ACB alleged that Rs 2.15 crore was routed to M/s Devine Realtors, a proprietorship firm of Dinesh Sharma, while Naveen received Rs 3.75 crore from the purchasers. The bureau also informed the court that Sharma had admitted his involvement during questioning and that around Rs 2.4 crore in alleged proceeds, reportedly concealed in Manali, Delhi and Loharu, was yet to be recovered.
