The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized two hotels in Jammu and Kashmir, valued at Rs 14.93 crore, in connection with the Patnitop Development Authority (PDA) case, as announced by the agency on Tuesday. The properties, Hotel Trinetra Resorts and Hotel Green Orchid, located in Patnitop, were confiscated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The Jammu unit of the ED took action against these establishments as part of an investigation prompted by a First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Jammu. This FIR targets various owners and directors of hotels, guest houses, resorts, cottages, and residences in the Patnitop region, as well as officials from the PDA. The inquiry revealed that these establishments engaged in the commercial use of residential properties, exceeded construction limits, and operated in restricted areas, such as dense forests, agricultural zones, and residential neighborhoods, with compliance lapses overlooked by PDA officials. Investigations by the ED indicated that both Hotel Trinetra Resorts and Hotel Green Orchid were constructed beyond the boundaries authorized by the PDA. Both establishments had engaged in unlawful construction beyond the sanctioned limits and had acquired encroached land illegally, generating revenue from these activities. The illegally obtained land and the revenue generated from it have been classified as Proceeds of Crime and have consequently been seized.
