The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday launched a series of searches across seven premises in Punjab, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh linked to M/s Malbros International Pvt Ltd, the liquor manufacturing firm that is part of the Oasis Group of Companies owned by former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA and businessman Deep Malhotra, his son Gautam Malhotra, and their family.
The company is under scrutiny for alleged involvement in a money laundering case intertwined with environmental violations.
The ED’s operation stems from grave accusations of environmental mismanagement by Malbros International Pvt Ltd. The company is accused of contaminating soil and groundwater around its factory located in Tehsil Zira, District Ferozepur. Reports indicate that industrial effluents were allegedly discharged into the earth through borewells, leading to severe pollution affecting villages up to a four-kilometre radius of the manufacturing unit.
The issue gained national attention when concerns were raised in Parliament, prompting the Central Pollution Control Board and the Central Ground Water Board to conduct on-site inspections at the Zira factory. Their findings highlighted significant violations of environmental norms, compelling the Punjab Pollution Control Board to initiate a criminal complaint against the company under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
The gravity of the environmental violations has escalated the case to include provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Offences under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, are now scheduled offences under the PMLA, triggering the ED’s involvement in a detailed investigation aimed at uncovering potential financial improprieties linked to environmental breaches.
The situation has not only raised legal alarms but has also sparked widespread community unrest. Farmers from nearby villages have been vocal in their protests against Malbros International Pvt Ltd, citing the contamination of soil and groundwater as a direct threat to their livelihood and health. The sustained demonstrations reflect deep-seated concerns about corporate responsibility and environmental stewardship in the region.
Officials say the outcomes of this probe are poised to set precedents in how environmental crimes are addressed within the purview of economic offences, underscoring the critical need for stringent regulatory oversight and corporate accountability in safeguarding our natural resources and communities.
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