Grand Mumtaz & Radisson owner Mushtaq Chaya among those summoned
Bank accounts, assets, rev records, lease deeds, Roshni Act applications sought
Srinagar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned nine prominent Gulmarg hoteliers, including Grand Mumtaz and Radisson Group owner Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai alias Chaya, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an ongoing investigation linked to alleged irregularities in land transactions in Gulmarg.
Besides Chaya, top sources told Rising Kashmir that those summoned include Mushtaq Ahmad Burza and Manzoor Ahmad Burza of the ITC Group, Nazir Ahmad Mir of M&Co, Manzoor Ahmad Khan of Hotel Khalil Palace, Abdul Hamid Dar of Hotel Mama Palace, Syed Musadiq Shah of Hotel Royal Park, Ibrahim Khan of Kolahoi Greens, and Sadaf Shah of Hotel Alpine Ridge.
Sources said the hoteliers have been directed to appear before the agency from Monday onwards, with one hotelier scheduled to appear each day, and furnish financial and property-related documents, including records pertaining to applications filed under the erstwhile J&K Roshni Act.
The summons, issued under Sections 50(2) and 50(3) of the PMLA, seek a range of documents, including details of bank accounts, movable and immovable assets, revenue records, lease deeds, income tax returns for the last five years, and documents relating to applications filed under the erstwhile J&K Roshni Act.
The notice states that every proceeding under Section 50 of the PMLA shall be deemed to be a judicial proceeding within the meaning of Section 229 and Section 267 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
It further warns that failure to attend or produce records as specified in the summons shall render the recipient liable to penal proceedings under the PMLA and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The development marks a significant escalation in the ED’s investigation into land-related irregularities in Gulmarg, one of Kashmir’s premier tourist destinations. The Roshni Act, which was repealed in 2020, had been used to regularise encroachments on state land, and its alleged misuse has been under scrutiny by investigative agencies.