ED files chargesheet against 41 in ₹1,000 crore ADEL Landmarks housing fraud
Synopsis
Nearly 5,000 families paid booking advances for homes they never received — some waiting over 19 years. The ED has now named 41 accused in a ₹1,075 crore PMLA chargesheet against ADEL Landmarks, with ₹585 crore in land parcels already seized. The case marks one of Haryana's largest real estate fraud prosecutions.
Key Takeaways
The ED Gurugram Zonal Office filed a chargesheet against 41 individuals and entities , including ADEL Landmarks and its then directors Hem Singh Bharana and Sumit Bharana .
The company collected over ₹1,075 crore from 4,771 homebuyers across Gurugram , Faridabad , and Palwal for projects launched between 2006 and 2012 .
All eight housing projects — including Cosmocourt, Skyville, and Era Divine Court — remain incomplete, with delays of 12 to 19 years .
The ED alleges funds were diverted to group companies for land purchases instead of project completion.
Properties worth ₹585.46 crore across 340 acres in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been attached as proceeds of crime under the PMLA .
The Special Court, Gurugram issued notices to all accused on 3 November ; the case is now in its judicial phase.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against 41 individuals and entities in connection with a ₹1,075 crore housing fraud allegedly perpetrated by ADEL Landmarks, which failed to deliver flats to 4,771 homebuyers across Gurugram, Faridabad, and Palwal over nearly two decades, officials said on Thursday, 12 November 2026.
Key Developments in the Case
The chargesheet, filed by the ED Gurugram Zonal Office before the Special Judge (PMLA) court, Gurugram, names ADEL Landmarks as a company along with its then directors Hem Singh Bharana and Sumit Bharana, among others. It has been filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). Following the chargesheet filing, the Special Court issued notices on 3 November to all accused persons and entities.
The ED's investigation was initiated on the basis of 74 FIRs registered and chargesheets filed by police in Haryana and Delhi, including the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). According to those FIRs, the company, its promoters, and associate firms defrauded homebuyers by failing to deliver promised residential units even after delays ranging from 12 to 19 years.
How the Fraud Allegedly Unfolded
The ED's probe revealed that ADEL Landmarks had launched several residential group housing projects in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Palwal between 2006 and 2012, collecting over ₹1,075 crore as booking advances from 4,771 customers. Projects named include Cosmocourt, Cosmocity-L, Cosmocity-III, Skyville, Redwood Residency, Era Green World, Era Divine Court, and ADEL Divine Court — all of which reportedly remain incomplete to this day.
Investigators allege that instead of channelling collected funds toward project completion, the company's then directors and promoters diverted a substantial portion to group companies as advances for land purchases and other purposes. This diversion is said to have directly caused the non-delivery of flats, plots, and units to buyers.
Properties Attached by the ED
Prior to the chargesheet, the ED had already attached immovable properties — including plots and land parcels measuring 340 acres — located in Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, and Bahadurgarh in Haryana, as well as in Meerut and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. These properties, valued at ₹585.46 crore and held by the accused company and related entities, have been classified as 'proceeds of crime' under the PMLA. Their confiscation has also been sought in the prosecution complaint filed by the ED.
Scale and Context
This case is among the larger PMLA prosecutions in the National Capital Region's real estate sector. The fraud spans multiple cities and over eight housing projects launched across a six-year window, affecting nearly 5,000 families who reportedly paid booking advances and received nothing in return for over a decade. Notably, this comes amid sustained regulatory and enforcement action against stalled real estate projects across Haryana, with several builders facing scrutiny under both the PMLA and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA).
With the Special Court having issued notices and the ED pressing for confiscation of attached assets, the case now moves into a formal judicial phase that will determine both the fate of the accused and any prospect of asset recovery for aggrieved homebuyers.
Point of View
Nearly two decades on. The ED's chargesheet is a significant escalation, but confiscation of ₹585 crore in land assets does not automatically translate into relief for 4,771 families; asset resolution under PMLA is notoriously slow. The harder question is whether this prosecution produces restitution or merely criminal liability — two very different outcomes for the homebuyers at the centre of it.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ADEL Landmarks housing fraud case?
The ADEL Landmarks fraud involves the alleged collection of over ₹1,075 crore from 4,771 homebuyers for residential projects in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Palwal that were never completed. The company and its promoters are accused of diverting buyer funds to group entities instead of using them for construction, leaving buyers without flats for 12 to 19 years.
Who has the ED named in its chargesheet?
The ED has named 41 individuals and entities, including ADEL Landmarks as a company and its then directors Hem Singh Bharana and Sumit Bharana. The chargesheet was filed before the Special Judge (PMLA) court in Gurugram under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
What properties has the ED attached in this case?
The ED has attached plots and land parcels totalling 340 acres in Gurugram, Faridabad, Palwal, and Bahadurgarh in Haryana, and in Meerut and Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, valued at ₹585.46 crore. These have been classified as proceeds of crime and their confiscation has been sought under the PMLA.
Which housing projects are involved in the fraud?
Eight projects are named: Cosmocourt, Cosmocity-L, Cosmocity-III, Skyville, Redwood Residency, Era Green World, Era Divine Court, and ADEL Divine Court. All were launched between 2006 and 2012 and reportedly remain incomplete as of 2026.
What happens next in the case?
The Special Court in Gurugram issued notices to all 41 accused on 3 November, moving the case into its formal judicial phase. The ED has also prayed for confiscation of the attached properties, which will be decided by the court. The timeline for any relief to homebuyers will depend on how quickly the PMLA proceedings conclude.
