By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 26 Jun: Uttarakhand Vigilance Department has stepped up its action in the Haridwar Municipal Corporation land scam and today raids are being carried out at the residences of those named in the FIR. Vigilance teams are searching for the documents and the evidences linked to the case. The investigation has gained momentum following the inquiry conducted by CO Harshvardhini Suman. Eight vigilance teams are simultaneously conducting house searches at the premises of all accused, including an IAS officer, under court-issued search warrants. Properties of the suspended IAS officer Varun Chaudhary have also reportedly been raided today. Initially, the buzz was that the raids are being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, as the day progressed, it was clear that the raids have been conducted by the Vigilance Department.
The case in this matter was registered today at Vigilance Sector Police Station, Dehradun, under crime number 12/2026 with charges under Section 318 k(4), 61 BNS and Sections 7c, 13(1)(a), 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Haridwar Municipal Corporation. Vigilance headquarters in Dehradun is directly monitoring the raids, which have also extended to the Delhi residence of an IAS officer. The searches are focused on land-related documents, files and other crucial evidence.
It may be recalled that the scam is related to the year 2024 when, during the municipal elections, Haridwar Municipal Corporation had purchased 33 bighas of land in Sarai village for Rs 54 crores. Allegations later surfaced in 2025 that the market value of the land was only around Rs 15 crores. Significantly, this particular piece of land was adjacent to the corporation’s dumping yard and the official use of land was agricultural. However, days before the purchase, the land’s category was changed to commercial under Section 143, inflating its value. Questions have also persisted about the purpose of the purchase, which remains unclear.
Once the matter became an issue of public speculation, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took serious note of the developments and then, on his orders, the government ordered an inquiry led by Secretary Ranveer Singh Chauhan, whose report confirmed the irregularities. Subsequently, disciplinary action was taken against several officials. Former District Magistrate Karmendra Kumar and Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary were suspended along with PCS officer Ajayveer Singh and other staff. The inquiry highlighted that during the election period, with the model code of conduct (MCOC) in force, the entire system was under the control of Municipal Commissioner Varun Chaudhary, who approved the purchase. The government has now recommended his dismissal from service, while Karmendra Singh faces major punishment and Ajayveer Singh has been penalised with stoppage of three increments.
The land purchase process had begun on 19 September 2024 and it concluded on 26 October. In November, plots totalling 33–34 bighas were bought from different sellers for Rs 53.70 crores. During this period, the land category was altered, raising the value from Rs 15 crores to Rs 53.70 crores. The process under section 143 of the Land Acquisition Act was initiated on 3 October and completed by 6 October, overlapping with the purchase procedure. Within just 14 days, then SDM Ajayveer Singh completed the entire change, bypassing regular procedures in the SDM court.
As the report was filed, the raids were continuing. With the vigilance raids now underway, the investigation appears to be reaching a decisive stage. The outcome of these searches and the evidence gathered will determine the next course of action, and further revelations are expected in the coming days.
