Ferozepur: Assets worth Rs 79.93 crore of an ethanol plant have been attached in a groundwater pollution case.

Punjab: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Jalandhar Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable properties worth ₹79.93 crore belonging to Malbros International Private Limited under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The attached properties include land, buildings, plant, and machinery. The ED initiated the investigation based on a criminal complaint filed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board against the company, alleging that the company violated the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 by discharging untreated wastewater into deep aquifers through reverse boring. In a press note, ED officials stated that the investigation revealed that the company’s industrial unit in Mansurwala village was deliberately polluting groundwater and thereby generating proceeds of crime.
It is alleged that this was done by secretly discharging untreated wastewater into deep aquifers and repeatedly releasing effluent onto the land, drains, and the nearby mill area. The ED stated that the unit’s daily operations involved the continuous illegal discharge of untreated wastewater, causing “massive and irreparable ecological damage” in the form of water pollution. It further added that this was leading to health hazards, crop damage, cattle deaths, and serious health impacts on the residents of nearby villages. On July 16, 2024, searches were conducted at six locations under Section 17 of the PMLA, during which ₹78.15 lakh in cash was seized from the plant premises and its directors.
The ethanol plant is reportedly owned by former SAD MLA and liquor businessman Deep Malhotra. Villagers have been protesting outside the plant since July 2022 under the banner of “Sanjha Morcha,” alleging groundwater pollution. Last year, on January 17, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced the closure of the plant through a video message on social media. However, the protesters refused to end their demonstration and demanded a written order from the state government, which is still awaited. Last month, in an affidavit filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on November 2 by Manish Kumar, Special Secretary, Science, Technology and Environment, the state government described the unit as a “rogue” industry with a documented history of violating environmental norms.