ED Searches In Rewa, Jabalpur; Deposits Worth ₹3 Crore Frozen

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhopal, conducted searches in Rewa and Jabalpur districts in connection with a money laundering investigation related to the submission of fake bills related to bitumen in the construction of roads, officials said on Sunday.

Bank balances and fixed deposits of Rs 2.93 crore were recovered and frozen. During the search, incriminating records, including property documents, digital devices and cash amounting to Rs 23.50 lakh, were recovered and seized.

The ED launched an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act based on FIRs registered by the Economic Offence Wing in Rewa and Jabalpur under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

During the investigation, it was revealed that contractors, with the help of public servants and officials of Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority Project Implementation Units, fraudulently obtained government payments for road asphalt and bitumen laying work by submitting forged invoices of Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, among others.

Invoices to the tune of Rs 55.60 crore were submitted. The bills on the oil companies were forged and submitted, thereby causing loss to the government exchequer, sources said.